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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27501247">comfortable, easy as breathing</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/achilleees_tua/pseuds/achilleees_tua'>achilleees_tua</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Umbrella Academy (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Twilight Fusion, Exhibitionism, M/M, Werewolves</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-08 02:49:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>17,858</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27501247</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/achilleees_tua/pseuds/achilleees_tua</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Does he know?” growled the vampire.</p><p>“Does who know?”</p><p>“Does Luther’s kid brother know he’s running with a wolf pack?”</p><p>“Not as I understand,” said the Handler.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Number Five | The Boy/Diego Hargreeves</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>175</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>comfortable, easy as breathing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>no sibling incest in this verse, and they're all the same age plus or minus a year or two. all characters are mixed and matched in various configurations as suits my needs. reginald is the same age and the same species as the rest of the gang so his personality is accordingly different. </p><p>requires some knowledge of twilight lore to make 100% sense, but basically, vampires who drink human blood have red eyes and vampires who are vegetarian (the Good Guys) have gold eyes. this is important. also werewolves can communicate telepathically when they are in their werewolf form. </p><p>while i stick to twilight lore for many of the mechanics of vampire and werewolf culture, i throw out everything that feels off to me. it's not exactly what she wrote.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Reginald came through the door like a thunderclap, all stormy scowl and furrowed brow. </p><p>Comparatively, Lila was all sunny smiles when she followed. “Good news and better news, team,” she sang out. </p><p>“Yeah?” Chuck said, doing his best to defend his plate from Diego’s invasion. “Give us the good news first.”</p><p>“New bloodsucker just rolled into town,” Lila said.</p><p>The pack whooped, eating and video games forgotten, everyone rising from their seats and shoving their bare feet into untied sneakers and sandals. Diego took advantage of the distraction to steal the last strip of Chuck’s bacon.</p><p>“What’s the better news?” Rodriguez asked.</p><p>“Fucker’s got red eyes!” Lila crowed, and the pack’s excitement ramped up another decibel.</p><p>“Honestly,” Helen said, sighing as she rinsed the sheet pan of bacon grease, “you’d think you guys were <em> happy </em> there was another murdering leech out there taking human lives.”</p><p>“We’re not happy they exist,” Lila justified. “We’re happy we’re here to prevent them from it.”</p><p>“With extreme prejudice,” Raymond said, grinning toothily.</p><p>“Yeah boyyy,” Chuck said, slapping his hand.</p><p>“Enough,” Reginald growled. “We’re going. Raymond, Ben, Rodriguez, you stay. Diego, Chuck, Lila, come with me.”</p><p>“Oh, come on,” Raymond said, as Ben sat back down. “How is that fair?”</p><p>“Allison isn’t here to corral you, and she is the only one you listen to,” Reginald said. “Maybe if you learned to behave on your own…”</p><p>“Yeah, like that’s happening,” Lila said under her breath.</p><p>Raymond chucked a plate at her, and Lila cackled with laughter.</p><p>“Boys!” Eudora said. “Someone clean that up!”</p><p><em>“Let’s move,”</em> Reginald barked.</p><p> </p><p>Chuck rode on the back of Lila’s motorcycle, so it was just the three bikes that pulled up outside the tidy little wooden house on the outskirts of town. Diego turned his bike off and leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the handlebars and taking it all in.</p><p>Lila gave a few testing yips, and the door opened only half a second later.</p><p>Definitely a vamp.</p><p>But Lila’s easy demeanor dissolved when not one, not two, but <em> three </em> vampires filed out of the house, smelling of rust and ice and acid. She and Chuck climbed off the bike, and Reginald followed, not wanting a second’s delay if they had to phase in a hurry.</p><p>Diego stayed in place. Only one of the bloodsuckers had red eyes.</p><p>“I thought they weren’t allowed on our side of the line,” the red-eyed one grumbled.</p><p>“They’re always allowed the right of first contact, to make sure the terms of the treaty are known,” said Hazel, the only one Diego recognized. He’d been around for a while. “After this, they’re not allowed back unless another one of our kind arrives, and even then, they can only stay long enough to establish the situation.”</p><p>“So let’s establish,” said red-eyes. “Get this stench out of my air.”</p><p>“You stay on your land, we stay on ours,” Reginald said harshly. “That one knows the territories, he can instruct you.” He pointed at Hazel.</p><p>Hazel nodded. “I’ll be careful to establish the exact division lines,” he promised.</p><p>“But if you harm any humans in any way, on any land including your own, we hunt you with impunity,” Reginald said. “Including you, leech.” He bared his teeth at the red-eyed one.</p><p>“Sorry, what?” she protested. “I never agreed to this.”</p><p>“Drive to California if you want to hunt human,” Reginald said. “We protect the area as far as this forest extends.”</p><p>“Cha-Cha,” said the other gold-eyed one calmly.</p><p>“We understand your terms,” said Hazel.</p><p>“We don’t care that you’re one of the better ones – if you come on our land, we’ll hunt you down and tear you to pieces,” Lila told the other gold-eyed one, her own eyes flashing with a rare imperiousness, the way she could get sometime.</p><p>“Understood,” he said. </p><p>“Luther, Cha-Cha, you’ve heard their words and you’ll heed them if you want to live,” Hazel said. “They’re an extremely strong pack and they have their eyes and ears all over the forest. You can try to break the rules and hope they don’t find out, but you won’t succeed.”</p><p>Luther jerked his head in a nod.</p><p>“Strength only in numbers,” Cha-Cha muttered. “Try fighting us in fair combat and see how confident you are, mutts.”</p><p>“Don’t be so sure,” Hazel said. “I’ve seen Diego there take down a newborn one on one before.”</p><p>Diego grinned, teeth flashing.</p><p>Cha-Cha shot him a grudgingly impressed look.</p><p>“Then we’re good,” Reginald said, climbing back on his bike.</p><p>“Any reason there are more of you coming now?” Chuck asked. “You holding some sort of mosquito festival soon?”</p><p>“More?” Cha-Cha said.</p><p>“Yeah, there’s two of the little gold-eyed ones at the high school now,” Chuck said. “We’re keeping an eye on them, but they’ve been behaving.”</p><p>“Plus the two red-eyed ones that tried hunting on our land last June,” Lila reminded him. She grinned. “They didn’t behave. Bummer for them.”</p><p>“Coincidence,” Hazel said. “Luther’s here because –”</p><p>Luther hissed. Diego thought it was to keep him from spilling some secret, then he heard a car pulling up the long driveway.</p><p>“My brother doesn’t know,” Luther said. “Honor the treaty and keep it that way.”</p><p>A vampire with a human brother who didn’t know about his situation. That one was a genuine surprise.</p><p>They all turned to look as the car pulled to a stop. A dark-haired boy climbed out, eyeing the four of them warily as he grabbed his backpack from the backseat. “What’s this…?”</p><p>“Welcoming committee,” Lila said.</p><p>Laughing, Chuck said, “Christmas carolers.”</p><p>“HOA surprise inspection,” Diego deadpanned. </p><p>Reginald sighed.</p><p>“Uh <em> huh,”</em> said the dark-haired boy, who at closer inspection was shockingly pretty – more handsome than even his vamp brother, <em> and </em> he didn’t smell like a sulfurous junkyard in winter. Intriguing. “And the required uniform is… hobo chic with a twist of freshman dorm floor?”</p><p>Cha-Cha snickered, but then again, they all did too. When you went through as many clothes as they did on a regular basis, you learned to prize price over fashion. They all knew what they looked like.</p><p>“Maybe you and your brother could lend us some clothes,” Lila said. “I’ll gladly take your hand-me-downs.”</p><p>“Better than digging them out of the dumpster later,” Chuck said.</p><p>Lila snickered.</p><p>“We’ll get out of your hair,” Reginald said, knocking up the kickstand of his bike with his foot. “Just remember what we told you.”</p><p>“We hear you, loud and clear,” Hazel said.</p><p>They took off.</p><p> </p><p>Back at the pack house, the other guys looked up when they walked in. “No drama?” Raymond said, visibly disappointed.</p><p>“Two new leeches, but one of them’s gold, so he shouldn’t be trouble,” Chuck said. “And the red-eyed one says she gets the picture.”</p><p>“Crazy shit, though. Get this, gold-eyed one’s got a human brother, <em> who doesn’t know </em>,” Lila said.</p><p>“The fuck?” Rodriguez said. “How is that even possible?”</p><p>“I mean, we always wonder that, right?” Raymond said. “How the humans are actually dumb enough not to notice? Guess this one’s even dumber than most.”</p><p>“Don’t say that, Diego’s into him,” Lila said.</p><p>Diego hadn’t said anything, but he wasn’t surprised that Lila could tell. They’d always had a connection. “He’s hot,” he said, shrugging. “Wouldn’t mind tossing him on his back and fucking some sense <em> into </em> him.”</p><p>“Heh, nice,” Raymond said.</p><p>“Not that the protective older brother’s gonna let you anywhere near him,” Chuck said. “He made that pretty damn clear.”</p><p>“I wasn’t going to – Jesus Christ.” Diego rolled his eyes. Fucking Lila, bringing it up and making it weird. “You’re the fucking worst,” he told Lila, who was snickering. </p><p>“Just don’t get too caught up in those pretty gray eyes,” Lila said, batting her eyelashes.</p><p>“Yeah, I’ll do my best,” Diego said, grabbing a banana and mashing the whole thing into his mouth in one bite.</p><p> </p><p>Allison got back from her solo trip to Mexico, so Diego was in a great mood for the next week. He always hated when Allison left, like a part of his soul had gone with her.</p><p>Helen banned them all from the house when Lila broke a window playing keep-away with Rodriguez’ shoes, so Allison and Diego took off for the diner for cheap food and a chill atmosphere.</p><p>They were eating fries and talking about global warming when a pack of eight high schoolers came in. Diego shifted forward without really meaning to, seeing the two gold-eyed baby vamps among them. </p><p>“Check it,” he told Allison in an undertone. “Got some sexy vampires to fall in love with.”</p><p>Allison followed his gaze. “So dreamy,” she cooed, knowing that the vampires would be listening, acute senses of hearing picking up the word ‘vampire’ even in a crowded room.</p><p>Sure enough, the two vampires glanced over at them as they settled into their seats, eyes narrowed.</p><p>“Aw, look, they’re pretending to be normal,” Diego said. “Blood’s not on the menu, kiddos. Maybe you can get a rare steak and gnaw on it.”</p><p>“Get some tomato juice, that’s almost the same thing, right?” Allison said. </p><p>The vampires both turned away with what seemed to be considerable effort, determined to ignore them. Diego, snickering, made to do the same – until he noticed the dark-haired boy among them.</p><p>Allison saw his glance. “What?”</p><p>“That’s the new vamp’s brother – Luther, remember I told you?” Diego said.</p><p>Allison glanced over, immediately picking the boy out of the group, likely by his good looks; he was far and away the most handsome one at the table. “Running with these bloodsuckers too? Interesting.”</p><p>“Coincidence?”</p><p>“Maybe, maybe not,” Allison said. “Hot, though, you’re right. That boy was made to take dick.”</p><p>“Right?” Diego said, and noticed a new tension in one of the baby vampire’s shoulders. “Aww, cute, I think the goth vamp has a crush. Hey Hot Topic, you noticed too? You think the kid’s dreamy? Too bad, I doubt bloodsucker’s his type.”</p><p>“Oh, hold up,” Allison said, grinning just as sharply. “Other vamp’s getting worked up too. Which one are you getting uptight about, parasite? Are you jealous that we’re talking about the new dark-haired pretty-boy? Or are you jealous that goth-boy cares that we are?”</p><p>Goth-boy shoved to his feet first, but the brown-haired one followed only a hair’s breadth behind.</p><p>“Whoa!” yelped one of the girls. “What gives, Klaus?”</p><p>“Is everything okay?” said another girl.</p><p>“It’s fine,” goth-boy growled out. “I just… need a cigarette.” He stalked away, shooting Diego and Allison a murderous glare as he passed them, pure loathing in his gaze.</p><p>“I’m going to the bathroom,” said the brown-haired one, slamming open the door like he had a vendetta against it.</p><p>Diego and Allison collapsed in their seats, laughing hysterically. </p><p>“Oh shit, was that too mean?” Diego said, wiping his eyes. “Let’s not tell Helen and Grace, you know how they get.”</p><p>“Or Ben, he’s such a sensitive soul,” Allison said. “But shit, that was good. That added three years to my life.”</p><p>“Fuckin’ right,” Diego said. “Man, we might need to go cliff-diving tonight, I’m all fired up from that. Whitewater. Something.”</p><p>“Good thought,” Allison said, rising and dropping some bills on the table. “Plus we should probably clear out before baby boys decide they want to throw down after all.”</p><p>“Yeah, ripping their cute little faces off would actually be too mean,” Diego said, smirking. </p><p>On his way out, he happened to catch the dark-haired boy’s eye. He was watching them, unblinking.</p><p> </p><p>Diego’s good mood lasted that week and into the next. He was genuinely whistling when he went to the post office, blowing bubbles with his gum and idly considering grabbing a few of those ridiculous Doritos tacos from Taco Bell on his way back.</p><p>There was someone leaning against his motorcycle when he came back out. His mood lifted even higher when he realized who. </p><p>“Well, hey sunshine,” he said. “Look who’s taking some initiative. Does your brother know you’re here?”</p><p>“When I first saw you, I thought you were the quiet one,” the boy said, cool and calm. “But you seemed to have plenty to say at the diner the other day.”</p><p>It was a curious thing to say, and it stirred Diego’s curiosity. There was no way he had been able to hear them, so he must have been basing that off the baby vamps’ reactions, and to his and Allison’s laughter afterwards. But how was he making sense of that interaction in his mind?</p><p>“Depends on the company,” Diego said, blowing another bubble and sucking it back into his mouth. “In groups, I’m quiet. When I’m one on one with someone I actually respect, I got lots to talk about.” He grinned. “Wanna get dinner with me and let me show you, sweetheart?”</p><p>“You don’t respect me,” the kid said. “You wouldn’t talk to someone you respected that way.”</p><p>Diego shrugged one shoulder. “Respect is earned,” he said. “Everyone starts at ground level.”</p><p>“Hm,” said the boy. </p><p>“That what you came here to ask me?” Diego said. “What Allison and I were talking about in the diner the other night?”</p><p>The boy hesitated. “Something like that,” he said.</p><p>“Ask your brother if you want answers,” Diego said, because he was only bound by the terms of the treaty to avoid specifics, and the kid deserved to know exactly what his darling brother was.</p><p>“I want answers from you,” the kid said stubbornly.</p><p>“Get used to disappointment,” Diego said.</p><p>The kid scowled. “Thanks, mysterious man in black.”</p><p>He’d recognized the Princess Bride reference, so the respect meter got bumped up another notch. Diego was abruptly sure that Raymond had been wrong the other day about him being even dumber than most humans, but he still wasn’t sure where to place him on the scale of intelligence.</p><p>“We done here, sweetheart?” Diego said. He decided he deserved a few tacos after behaving himself this well.</p><p>“Five,” the kid growled.</p><p>“Hm?”</p><p>“My name is Five,” Five said. “So stop calling me sweetheart.”</p><p>Diego grinned. “That’s nice. I’m Diego,” he said. </p><p>Five nodded.</p><p>“Say it.”</p><p>“Say what?” Five asked, a furrow of confusion appearing between his brows.</p><p>“Say my name.”</p><p>Five eyed him warily. “Why?”</p><p>Diego shrugged.</p><p>Five opened his mouth, then shut it again. He seemed baffled about Diego’s intentions, which was cute, given Diego just wanted to hear what his name sounded like in that low drawling tone. </p><p>“Sorry, sweetheart, time’s up,” Diego said when Five didn’t speak for another five seconds. “Maybe next time.”</p><p>“It’s <em> Five,”</em> Five bit out.</p><p>“And I’m Diego,” Diego said, winked, and left.</p><p> </p><p>The next time they showed up outside Luther’s house, there were six of them – Reginald, Diego, Rodriguez, Lila, Raymond and Allison. </p><p>Strength in numbers, because the vampires were playing by the same rules.</p><p>Luther came outside slower this time when they called for him, which was the first clue that Five was home, immediately followed by the way he hissed, “My brother’s here, so watch your mouths.”</p><p>“So? You think we’re gonna play nice because you asked?” Raymond said.</p><p>“Yes, pumpkin, we are,” Allison said, elbowing him.</p><p>Diego grinned. It was written into the treaty that neither wolves nor vampires could reveal the existence of the other to humans, and that didn’t change just because the human was the vampire’s brother. Raymond should have known that, but Raymond could be stubborn.</p><p>Luther narrowed his eyes. “Are you passing along the same message as last time? I assure you, I can communicate it to my new guest.”</p><p>“We want to meet your new guest,” Reginald said. “And trust me, your new guest wants us to know her face also.” He bared his teeth.</p><p>“How long’s your new guest staying?” Lila said.</p><p>“Indefinitely,” Luther said with a sharp smile.</p><p>“Then we definitely need to meet her,” Reginald said. “Unless you want to risk it. We wouldn’t mind.” He looked around at the pack, who all shrugged.</p><p>“Handler!” Luther called back into the house.</p><p>The vampire who walked outside immediately put Diego on edge, and he knew he wasn’t the only one by the way the rest of his pack shifted. It wasn’t just the red eyes and the weirdly paper-thin skin, but the look in her eyes, amused, almost manic. Diego didn’t trust her, and he felt the same feeling rolling off his pack in waves.</p><p>“You make sure to pass along every part of our message,” Reginald said, voice thick with a new level of distaste. “We take our terms <em> very </em> seriously.”</p><p>“I’m sure you do,” said the Handler with a smile that made Diego’s skin crawl.</p><p>Reginald sniffed and bumped up his kickstand. “We’re out.”</p><p>Diego revved his bike. He was about to spin it around and take off when he glanced up and caught sight of something in the upstairs window –</p><p>Five, staring intently at him. When he saw he had Diego’s attention, he splayed one palm flat against the window and pointed straight down with his other hand, a signal Diego took to mean as <em> Stay here.</em></p><p>“Oi, Rodriguez,” Diego called.</p><p>Lila braked to a halt, and Rodriguez glanced over at Diego from his seat behind her.</p><p>“Take my bike back,” Diego said. “I feel like running today.”</p><p>Rodriguez shrugged and swapped places with him, and the pack took off on the road. Allison shot Diego a curious look, but let it happen, trusting that he would open up about his reasons later.</p><p>Diego waited around for a while in the backyard, but Five didn’t show. Then Diego thought – <em> duh </em>, and headed for the post office where they’d last spoken.</p><p>Five was waiting there, tapping his foot impatiently. “Took you long enough,” he said, annoyed.</p><p>“What’s up?” Diego said. “Wait, is this a booty-call? Please tell me this is a booty-call.”</p><p>Five rolled his eyes and thrust his phone into Diego’s hand. “Give me your number,” he said.</p><p>“Is this a setup for future booty-calls?” Diego said, delighted, keying his number into Five’s phone.</p><p>“I don’t like her, and I don’t trust her,” Five said, dropping his voice. “And I suspect you’re the person to tell if I think she’s up to something.”</p><p>Diego sobered immediately. He still wasn’t sure how much Five knew or suspected about the supernatural happenings of the town, but he knew it was enough to trust Five’s instincts. If he thought the Handler was bad news, it only confirmed Diego’s hunch.</p><p>“Yeah,” he said, just as quietly. “You see anything off, you text me. I’ll deal with it.”</p><p>“Even if it would violate the terms of whatever weird contract you have with my brother?” Five said.</p><p>“Five,” Diego said, looking deep into his eyes. “I’ll deal with it.”</p><p>Five swallowed. “Okay,” he said. “Okay.” He checked over his shoulder. “I should go.”</p><p>“Alright,” Diego said, watching him leave and rubbing his hand over his face.</p><p> </p><p>“What happened to your good mood, sparkles?” Lila said, nudging Diego back at the pack house.</p><p>Diego glanced around, but it was just him and Lila and Allison. Perfect timing to bring it up. “I’m worried about that new vampire freak,” he said.</p><p>“Yeah,” Lila said seriously, smile fading. “That lady gives me the creeps.”</p><p>“You worried about Five?” Allison said. Of course she sensed Diego’s genuine concern for the boy; she knew him better than anyone.</p><p>“I just… The kid has intuition. If he’s freaked, I’m freaked,” Diego said. “And he’s freaked.”</p><p>“But realistically, what’s the Handler gonna do? Bite some humans? We’ll rip her head off the second she does,” Lila pointed out.</p><p>There was only one human Diego cared about getting bitten, but that human was currently sleeping in the same house the Handler was staying in, so it was slim comfort. </p><p>“Yeah,” Diego said.</p><p>“We’ll keep an extra eye out on him,” Allison said, throwing an ice cream sandwich across the room at Diego. “He’ll be fine.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Diego said again.</p><p> </p><p>Nothing happened for a few days, and gradually Diego’s unease settled. He never forgot it entirely, but it lessened into something manageable, insignificant.</p><p>Then he got a text from an unknown number with a New York area code, and his tension ramped back up by a few degrees of magnitude.</p><p><em> Hey </em>, it read.</p><p>
  <em> ?? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> It’s Five </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Everything alright? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Yeah, just bored in class </em>
</p><p>Diego laughed with relief, the anxiety flooding out of him in a rush. <em> I don’t know what things are like where you’re from, but shouldn’t you be paying attention in class, kiddo? </em></p><p>
  <em> Five. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> You say your own name a lot. Some kind of verbal tic? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> You are so fucking annoying. If you were here I’d smack you. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Is THAT a booty call? </em>
</p><p>He got back a picture of Five’s hand with his middle finger extended, and laughed.</p><p>
  <em> Sorry boo, forgive me?</em>
</p><p>He didn’t get back a text at all for that one, and spent the rest of the day in a considerably better mood.</p><p> </p><p>He was asleep in the hammock on the back porch a few days later when the quality of the voices inside transformed, waking him. They didn’t grow any louder, but something went tight in them, anxious.</p><p>He listened hard. “It’s getting closer,” Chuck was saying. </p><p>“A vampire wouldn’t dare to come here, right?” Eudora said, nervous.</p><p>“Not a vampire, no,” Reginald said slowly. </p><p>“But it smells like –”</p><p>A second later, Diego got a whiff of the scent they were talking about and grinned, relaxing back into the hammock. Not a vampire, no. A vampire’s brother, though? Yeah.</p><p>There was a knock on the door, and Reginald opened it. “Hey.”</p><p>“My brother sent me with a letter for Reginald,” Five’s voice said. “He would have come himself, but he’s busy.”</p><p>Lila snorted.</p><p>“I’m Reginald,” Reginald said, accepting the letter. “Thank you for bringing this.”</p><p>“He said to wait for a response,” Five said.</p><p>“I see,” Reginald said, clearly thrown. “Please, make yourself comfortable.”</p><p>Five hesitated, then asked, “…Is Diego here?”</p><p>Diego grinned up at the sky, gleeful.</p><p>“Back porch,” Chuck said. “Thataway.”</p><p>“Thanks,” Five said, and his footsteps grew closer.</p><p> </p><p>By the time he got there, Diego was sitting up and stretching.</p><p>“Nice house,” Five said, closing the door behind him.</p><p>“It is, isn’t it?” Diego said. “Nice of you to come by.”</p><p>Five paused, then said in a rush, “I think my brother sent me on purpose.”</p><p>“Oh?”</p><p>“I think… he wants me to have somewhere I’ll know to go for safety if anything goes wrong,” Five said. “And I think he’s trying to signal to you guys that you can trust me even if I’m not privy to all your secrets.”</p><p>“It’s possible,” Diego said.</p><p>“And… I think he’s trying to send a signal to the Handler also,” Five said. “That he’s not the only one protecting me. That you guys would also hunt her if she tried to hurt me.”</p><p>Fury stirred inside Diego, but he kept himself composed. “Has the Handler done anything to make Luther believe she would hurt you?”</p><p>Five hesitated. “Not openly,” he said.</p><p>“Why the fuck is the Handler even here, if your brother is this distrustful to her?” Diego said. “Kick her out if he dislikes her that much.”</p><p>“I don’t think he’s hosting her by choice,” Five said lowly. “I think there’s some kind of fucked up vampire nobility dynamic at play that he can’t safely refuse.”</p><p>The inside of the house went suddenly quiet. Diego stared.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“You know he’s a vampire?” Diego said.</p><p>“Of course I know, I’m not an idiot,” Five said impatiently. “He doesn’t go out in the fucking sunlight anymore. It didn’t take long to figure out.”</p><p>Despite himself, Diego laughed aloud.</p><p>“But he has different colored eyes than the other ones. Is that because he doesn’t drink blood?” Five asked.</p><p>“Not human blood,” Diego corrected. “He drinks animal blood.”</p><p>“Figured,” Five said. He rolled his eyes. “How dumb do you think I am?”</p><p>“We wondered,” Diego admitted. “So… if you know your brother’s a vampire, and you know your brother is using us as a threat against other vampires, and you know we have some kind of intricate contract in place with your brother, what do you think we are?”</p><p>He sensed everyone inside listening closely.</p><p>“I’m not sure,” Five said. “I haven’t seen enough clues to figure it out yet.” He frowned.</p><p>“Well, stick around, kid,” Diego said. “With your brains, it shouldn’t take long.” He stood, slinging his arm around Five and dragging him flush against his body.</p><p>Five scowled and tried to squirm away. “What are you doing?”</p><p>“Getting my scent on you,” Diego said. “the Handler should know – if she hurts you, I will <em> personally </em> hunt her down and tear her to pieces, starting outside and moving gradually in, and I will not be quick about it.”</p><p>“Oh,” Five said, and looked up at Diego with this absurdly trusting expression, those eyes so goddamn big and sweet, and Diego might have been a little fucked here.</p><p> </p><p>Inside, Reginald curled his lip at Five. “He should go before he <em> does </em> get enough clues to figure us out.”</p><p>Diego stood his ground. He didn’t often contest Reginald’s will, but this was one of the rare times. “He’s a human with a vampire brother who’s in more danger than anyone else in the town. If anyone deserves to know about our feud with vampires, it’s him.”</p><p>“Yeah, like, who’s he gonna tell?” Lila said helpfully, because Lila was a bro. “Obviously he’s got every incentive to keep his mouth shut about supernatural shit.”</p><p>Reginald huffed.</p><p>“Reginald, shush,” Grace said. “Of course the boy can stay. Are you hungry?”</p><p>“Uh,” Five said.</p><p>“It doesn’t matter if you say yes or no, there will be plenty of food anyway,” Eudora said helpfully.</p><p>“Sure,” Five said. “I could eat.”</p><p>“Heh, yeah, I could eat,” Lila said.</p><p>“I could eat,” Chuck agreed.</p><p>“I could eat!” Raymond called from outside.</p><p>Five looked at Diego. “Why are they doing that?”</p><p>It was Eudora who answered, though, rolling her eyes fondly and saying, “Because they could always eat. It’s their number one defining characteristic.”</p><p>“Rude!” Chuck said, standing and backing her against the counter to nudge at her throat with his nose. “Rude and unnecessary.”</p><p>“But true,” Grace chimed in.</p><p>“They?” Five said. “Who comprises <em> they </em>?”</p><p>“Always playing the detective on the case, aren’t you?” Reginald said, frowning.</p><p>“Leave the boy alone,” Grace said, frowning <em> more </em>. “If he’s smart enough to figure out our secrets himself, good for him.”</p><p>Reginald grumbled but nodded, giving in.</p><p>“Figure it out yourself,” Diego told Five.</p><p>“They is…” He looked at Diego. “I don’t know their names.”</p><p>“Point, and I’ll tell you,” Diego said. Five pointed. “Chuck, Lila, Ben, Rodriguez, and Reginald.”</p><p>“And the guy outside,” Five said.</p><p>“Raymond,” Diego said.</p><p>“And the girl with the curly hair I saw you at the diner with.”</p><p>“Allison.”</p><p>Five looked around at Grace and Eudora. “Not either of you,” he murmured. “So no one else that I know of.”</p><p>“Kid really is smart,” Lila said admiringly. </p><p>“You hit on him, you get punched,” Diego said.</p><p>“Oh, don’t worry,” Lila said. “I think we all know not to make any moves on our little Sherlock Holmes.”</p><p>“<em> Five </em>,” Five growled.</p><p>“He does that sometimes,” Diego said. “You get used to it.”</p><p>Five punched his arm.</p><p> </p><p>After lunch, they walked along the beach alone. Diego loved his pack, but it was a breath of fresh air to have some time with Five to himself, no obnoxious pack sniffing around pissing him off.</p><p>“Hey,” he said, nudging Five. “Tell me what you know about vampire nobility.”</p><p>“Really nothing,” Five said. “Just that Luther doesn’t like or trust the Handler but the Handler keeps making veiled remarks to <em> reporting back </em> and every time she does, Luther shuts down.”</p><p>“Hm,” Diego said. He didn’t like that – the idea of a vampire headquarters, some higher authority that held rank over the rest of them. They’d never heard anything about that before. “How long ago did Luther get changed?”</p><p>“Few years, I guess,” Five said. “It happened while he was away at school. When he got back, his eyes were gold and he looked different. He couldn’t go outside in the sun anymore, and his skin was cold. He never ate anything. But he’s never hurt anyone,” he added defensively. “So I just… let it go.”</p><p>Diego nodded. “He’s remarkably poised for such a young vampire,” he said. “Usually they’re more… high-strung for the first few years.”</p><p>“He’s always been mature,” Five said. “I’m not surprised it carried over.”</p><p>Diego looked at him, cued by the altered tone of his voice. “You miss your brother?”</p><p>Five sighed. “I miss… Yeah, I guess. I miss having a brother that I could connect with. I still love Luther, but he’s on a whole different planet now.”</p><p>“You could ask him to change you,” Diego said, voice flattening at the idea.</p><p>“He wouldn’t do it even if I asked, I know him that well,” Five said. He made a face. “Besides, I don’t want to be a vampire. That would fucking suck.”</p><p>Diego brightened. “That’s what I’ve always thought. Living off blood, not going out in the sun? All the speed and strength in the world wouldn’t make that worth it.”</p><p>“You seem strong enough yourself,” Five said dryly, squeezing Diego’s bicep.</p><p>“Why, my word, are you <em> flirting with me?”</em> Diego said. “Wait, let me quickly memorize everything about this moment.”</p><p>Five scowled and started to walk faster.</p><p>Diego laughed and caught up effortlessly. “But you’re not wrong, we get all the perks and none of the drawbacks.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Five said, eyeing him curiously. “You’re kind of their polar opposite, aren’t you? You’re big and broad, your temperature runs hot, you eat like starving animals… But the speed and strength you still get, right?”</p><p>“You’re still trying to figure us out?” Diego said, grinning.</p><p>Five shrugged, unrepentant. “Anything else I should know?”</p><p>“Not that I’m allowed to tell you,” Diego said cheerfully.</p><p>“I’ll still figure it out,” Five warned.</p><p>Diego ruffled his hair. “I hope you do.” He meant it.</p><p> </p><p>That night, he walked Five back to his car and rubbed his palm over his neck, one last scent-mark for good measure. </p><p>“Stop it,” Five said, smacking him away.</p><p>“Hey,” Diego said, leaning his elbows on the open window. “Be careful, alright? You should feel free to come down here as often as you want – get the idea through that parasite’s head that we’re looking out for you as much as your brother is. You’re safer here than you are anywhere else, anyway.”</p><p>“Is that really why you want me here?” Five said.</p><p>“It’s one of the reasons,” Diego said.</p><p>Five scowled at him.</p><p>“You don’t like when I flirt with you,” Diego reminded him, smiling.</p><p>Five looked away, clearly embarrassed. He was so cute when he got self-conscious; Diego was obsessed with it.</p><p>“Hey,” he said, turning Five’s face towards his, and then he kissed him. He didn’t really plan it, but once Five was looking up at him with his lips slightly parted and his expression so open and expectant, he couldn’t resist.</p><p>Five let him, though, so clearly it was a great idea from the start.</p><p>Diego kissed him long and slow, and Five gave a high noise in his throat when he tried to pull away, which extended it for a while longer. Then Diego finally – reluctantly – drew back. “Come back soon,” he said, rapping his knuckles on the car frame. “Try not to get eaten.”</p><p>Five snorted, driving away without a response – well, none other than his extended middle finger out the window.</p><p>Diego grinned.</p><p> </p><p>He immediately got treated to a chorus of catcalls and whistles when he walked back in through the door, but whatever, bitches were just jealous they couldn’t pull tail like that.</p><p>He ignored it, eating a few slices of pie with his hands and watching his pack play Fortnite on the big TV. Then he sensed Reginald’s eyes on him and looked over.</p><p>Reginald cleared his throat. “You really like him, hm?”</p><p>Diego nodded.</p><p>“We’ll keep a closer eye on him,” Reginald promised. “We won’t let anything bad happen to him.”</p><p>Diego smiled.</p><p> </p><p>Diego was shopping in town with Allison and Raymond when he smelled a familiar scent – acid and ice, burning his nostrils. He hoped it was just Luther, but somehow it wasn’t a surprise when he looked up and saw the Handler idly flipping through a magazine outside the school. He felt his lip curl.</p><p>“God,” Raymond said, following his gaze. “We should just tear her throat out now and be done with it. Save us the fucking trouble of waiting for a catalyst.”</p><p>“No,” Diego said, thinking of what Five had said. He didn’t want to bring the full force of the vampire capital down on their heads.</p><p>He could see the Handler’s smirk even from this distance, and knew that she was listening to their conversation. He had to be careful with his words, not wanting to out Five as the source of this information.</p><p>Raymond narrowed his eyes. “Why?”</p><p>“Because we’re not going to be the ones to break the treaty,” Diego said instead. “She hasn’t hunted humans on treaty land – that we know – and we’re not taking action until she does.”</p><p>“It just feels stupid,” Raymond said. “Waiting for her to kill someone so we can punish her for it.”</p><p>“We can’t preventatively punish someone for a crime they haven’t committed yet,” Allison pointed out reasonably.</p><p>“Yeah, but look at her stupid smug snake face,” Raymond protested. “No one has ever more obviously deserved to die.”</p><p>The Handler’s smirk took up her entire face by then. She was <em> definitely </em> listening. “And we’ll kill her, <em> when she forces it. </em> No sooner.”</p><p>“Pah. Fine,” Raymond said, rolling his eyes. “Can’t come soon enough, as far as I’m concerned.”</p><p>“I’m not arguing with you there,” Diego said, hating that vampire like he’d never hated anyone before.</p><p> </p><p>That weekend, Diego awoke to a roar of his name. He rubbed his eyes and sat up.</p><p>Reginald’s broad frame filled his doorway. “Your little friend broke the treaty.”</p><p>Diego wanted to be outraged, but he had no idea what was happening. “Which friend? Broke it how?”</p><p>“He brought a vampire into our territory,” Reginald snarled.</p><p>“Five doesn’t even know the terms of the treaty,” Diego pointed out. “The vampire’s the one that knowingly broke it, not him. Which vampire? Luther?”</p><p>“No, the little goth baby vamp,” Rodriguez chimed in from the main room.</p><p>“Yeah, I don’t think you can blame Five for that,” Diego said. “Wait, Five’s here?”</p><p>“Go deal with this,” Reginald said. “<em> Now </em>.”</p><p>Diego was more than willing to do that.</p><p> </p><p>He made his way down to the beach in just his sweatpants, barefoot and bare-chested, still waking up completely.</p><p>By the time he reached them, all of Five’s dumb little high school friends were gaping at him, except Five. </p><p>“Oi, sweetcheeks,” Diego called. <em>“A word.”</em></p><p>Five swaggered over, and Diego began to rethink whether he’d knowingly broken the rules of the treaty after all. “Yes?”</p><p>“You can’t bring your little vamp friend onto our land, <em> which he knows,”</em> Diego said, glaring at the goth vampire, who had the gall to grin at him. “And which, I suspect, you know as well.”</p><p>Five shrugged.</p><p>“Why?” Diego said, sighing. “Why do you insist on making my life such a nightmare?”</p><p>“I wanted to see what you would do,” Five said frankly. “I’d hoped for more theatrics to give me clues, but clearly that didn’t happen.”</p><p>“You do understand that we now have the established right to tear his head from his shoulders, right?” Diego said.</p><p>“I figured you’d go easy on him because he’s such a fucking moron,” Five said. </p><p>Diego glanced over at the goth vampire. He really was such a fucking moron, he reflected. “He needs to go. Now. And you need to start working on your apology speech for Reginald, because he feels that he’s already giving you too much leeway and this isn’t helping your case.”</p><p>Goth vampire jogged up from down the beach. “I don’t want to go,” he said, pouting. “I’m not doing any harm being here.”</p><p>“Thanks, but the treaty doesn’t take intention into account, nor is there a ‘fucking moron’ clause,” Diego said. “Kid, I’m already sticking my neck out for you. Get the fuck off my land before I release the hounds on you after all.”</p><p>Too close to the truth. He immediately regretted his choice of language.</p><p>Thankfully, idiot baby vamp made a suitable distraction. “But you already owed me for being such a jerk to me in the diner, so if anything, this is just getting even.”</p><p>“This is not negotiable,” Diego said. “I know I play the sarcastic, irreverent role like a champ, but I’m not joking now. You need to go, before I can’t hold them off anymore.”</p><p>The baby vamp seemed to finally realize he was serious. “Fine,” he said, looking back and forth between Diego and the house he’d emerged from. “I’ll go. But I don’t think it’s fair. I’m not hurting anyone and I just want to spend the day at the beach with my friends. You <em> know </em> I’m not hurting anyone.” He gestured at his eyes.</p><p>“I know,” Diego sighed, because he actually felt bad for the little twerp. “Look, I’ll see what I can do, but I’m not hopeful. Not all of my –” The word <em> pack </em> stuck in his throat, caught by the injunction. Fuck, that was close. “– friends are as cuddly and nice as I am.”</p><p>Baby vamp scuffed his foot on the ground. “Fine,” he said. “I’m going. Tell the others that I had to go?” he asked Five.</p><p>Five’s gaze on him looked like Diego felt, genuinely pitying, mixed with remorse. “I’ll go with you,” he said. “It’s my fault too.”</p><p>Baby vamp brightened. “Alright!” he said. “Let me grab my stuff.” He ran off down the beach.</p><p>Diego was struck with a strange, unfamiliar jealousy, hot and urgent in his stomach. He did not like it, suspecting as he did that baby vamp had a thing for Five – Five, whom Diego had barely started pursuing. The idea of them going off and spending the day alone didn’t sit well with him.</p><p>But what was he going to do? Invite himself along? As if. “Text me later,” he said abruptly to Five. “Since you’ll probably be bored and all.”</p><p>Five shrugged, shooting him a weird look. “Sure, if you want?” He looked at the baby vamp. “We going or what, Klaus?”</p><p>Diego tried not to feel like a total idiot on his way back to the house, and failed.</p><p>It wasn’t helped by the sympathetic look Chuck shot him when he walked in, either. “So that could have gone better,” Chuck said.</p><p>“I’m going back to bed,” Diego muttered, and did.</p><p> </p><p>He did get a text from Five later that day, which cheered him up, if slightly. </p><p><em> Lila says you’re pouting </em>.</p><p>He scowled in the direction of Lila. <em> Since when do you have Lila’s number? </em></p><p>
  <em> There’s a lot you don’t know about me. Why are you pouting? </em>
</p><p>Was he really that dense? <em> You exhaust me, child </em>.</p><p>
  <em> If you don’t start calling me by my fucking name </em>
</p><p>Diego smiled. <em> I’ll consider it, babydoll. </em></p><p>
  <em> Christ. Are you busy now? </em>
</p><p>Thrill surged through Diego like an electric charge. He hated that he had to say, <em> Yeah, my shift starts at 4. Sorry. </em></p><p>
  <em> Whatever </em>
</p><p>And that just made Diego grin, imagining Five’s petulant scowl. <em> Raincheck? </em></p><p>
  <em> Whatever </em>
</p><p>Diego was laughing when he went to load up on food before heading off for his shift.</p><p> </p><p>Their guard shifts were all boring as hell, but Diego could see why Reginald had instituted them since all the vamps started showing up in town. Just because no trouble had started yet didn’t mean it never would, and they couldn’t get complacent with danger lurking right outside their turf.</p><p>So Diego ran the perimeter, sniffing to find any vampire’s scent, doubling back when he reached the boundary limits and doing the whole thing again in reverse.</p><p>It was around halfway back that he did pick up the scent of a vampire, but only traces. A little closer, he picked up the much stronger scent of Five.</p><p>What in the absolute fuck. He changed course, tracking Five easily, and when he got close he phased back to human and pulled on the sweatpants he kept strapped to his thigh for this kind of scenario.</p><p>He found Five in a clearing, sitting cross-legged and pensive on a high rock.</p><p>“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” he snapped.</p><p>Five startled. “I thought you were on shift.” He narrowed his eyes like he was hurt Diego had seen the need to lie to him.</p><p>Diego scaled the stone easily, climbing with his hands alone and landing at Five’s side in a few seconds. “This is my shift, dumbass. Guard shift, vampire lookout shift. What are you doing wandering around the forest at night?”</p><p>“It’s not night,” Five pointed out.</p><p>“It will be by the time you get back,” Diego said, resisting the urge to shake him. “Kid, there’s animals out here – bears, mountain lions. It’s not safe alone.”</p><p>“Luther said the dangerous animals are further away from civilization,” Five said, undaunted. “Anyway, you’re here.”</p><p>“I’m a lot more durable than you,” Diego said.</p><p>“No, you’re here,” Five said. “I know you aren’t going to let a fucking bear eat me.”</p><p>His flattery worked its intended job, calming Diego almost against his will. “You really shouldn’t be here at night, alone. Why <em> are </em> you here?”</p><p>“I didn’t want to be at home and you were busy,” Five said. “I know they’re not allowed on this side of the boundary line, so I thought it would be safer.”</p><p>Diego frowned, annoyingly disappointed that Five had only wanted to see him for the added security he offered. “You know, you can come by the house even if I’m not there. The guys will protect you as well as I do.”</p><p>Five scowled, looking away.</p><p>More importantly, though… “What is that fucking leech doing to terrify you so much? I swear, if she’s threatened you…”</p><p>“She doesn’t threaten me,” Five said. “She doesn’t do anything blatant. She just… watches me. I can’t figure out if she wants to eat me or…” He shuddered.</p><p>“Jesus,” Diego said, feeling sick. “You know, you can stay with us if you want. Like, move in until that vamp goes back to fucking Transylvania.”</p><p>“I… might take you up on that,” Five said. Jesus, he must really have been terrified of that woman. “I’ll talk to Luther and see.”</p><p>Diego nodded. “For now, just go to the house, okay? You shouldn’t be here at night. I’ll be back around midnight.”</p><p>“Alright,” Five said.</p><p>Diego made to slide off the rock, but Five whipped his hand out and grabbed his wrist. Diego turned.</p><p>“Were you pouting because you thought I blew you off to hang out with Klaus today?”</p><p>Diego grimaced. </p><p>“Don’t be an idiot,” Five said, and kissed him first this time. </p><p>Diego’s body responded without any conscious input from his brain – he immediately moved into it, kissing Five hungrily, really pouring himself into it. He didn’t even register moving until he had Five pressed back into the flat stone, the beautiful lithe span of him spread out for Diego’s pleasure.</p><p>And god, Five was so willing. For such a confrontational boy, he went completely pliant under Diego’s hands, letting himself be manhandled, opening up for it beautifully. Diego slipped his hand up his shirt, and he moaned and curved up into it.</p><p>Diego ripped away, finally. “I have to…”</p><p>Five sat up, temptingly flushed and disheveled.</p><p>“I really am on shift, Reginald will kill me if I let myself get distracted,” Diego said. He dropped off the stone onto the ground, looking up at Five.</p><p>“Can I come with you?” </p><p>Diego grinned. “You couldn’t keep up, sweetheart.”</p><p>For once, Five only scowled about the nickname.</p><p>Diego pointed in the direction of the pack house. “Go to the house. I’ll be there at midnight. Be happy to fuck you into the mattress then. Just – not now.”</p><p>“Fine,” Five bit out, sliding off the stone himself. </p><p>Diego forced himself to start running before he could get sucked in again. Those goddamn eyes hit him right in the gut, every time.</p><p> </p><p>When he got back at midnight, most of the guys were asleep. Raymond was just changing for his own shift when he came in, and Chuck and Eudora were curled up on the couch, murmuring together.</p><p>Eudora looked up. “Delivery came for you.”</p><p>Diego grinned. “Yeah. What’d you do with it?”</p><p>“Last I knew, it was waiting on your bed,” Eudora said, winking back.</p><p>“Nice,” Diego said, slapping her hand as he walked by.</p><p>Sure enough, when he opened the door, Five was lying on his stomach on the bed, reading a book and idly swinging his legs in the air. He looked up. “Your room is a closet.”</p><p>“There’s eight of us living here, plus sisters and significant others, so no one has a lot of space to themselves,” Diego agreed. “We mostly spend time in the main room and outside, the bedrooms are just for sleeping in.”</p><p>“Why do you all have to live together? Surely you could divide between houses,” Five said.</p><p>Diego hesitated, unsure how to explain to someone who only had half the picture coming in. </p><p>When they were already living in each other’s heads, when there was no such thing as a private thought between their pack, cramped living quarters weren’t really the issue. Anyway, they liked the closeness. With the connection they had, any time apart felt weird. They were only whole when they were together.</p><p>“I guess we like it this way,” Diego said finally, shrugging. “It’s kind of a thing.”</p><p>“Hm,” Five said, eyeing him shrewdly.</p><p>“Still trying to figure us out?” Diego said.</p><p>“I’ll do it,” Five said.</p><p>“I believe that,” Diego said, and shucked his sweatpants right where he stood, leaving him naked.</p><p>Five jolted upright.</p><p>Diego grabbed some boxer briefs from the drawer and pulled them on, leaning against the desk after with his arms crossed. “So if we’re gonna fuck, there’s some shit you should know.”</p><p>“Okay…” Five said warily.</p><p>“First off, your baby vamp friend’s gonna know the second you see him. Just FYI.”</p><p>“Why would I care if Klaus knows we fucked?” Five said.</p><p>Right answer. Diego shrugged. “I’m just saying. <em> All </em> the vamps are gonna know we fucked, not just Klaus.”</p><p>“Fine, whatever.”</p><p>This part was harder to say, because he was pretty sure Five wasn’t going to take it as well. Diego took a breath. “And… my friends have sensitive hearing. So… they’ll know too.”</p><p>Five looked at the wall. “Wait, like…”</p><p>“I’ve been woken up enough times by them all getting down that I don’t give a shit, but yeah, like that. They’ll do their best to ignore it, but…” Diego shrugged. </p><p>“Huh,” Five said. He considered this. “That’s kind of hot.”</p><p>Diego gave a delighted bark of laughter, the anxiety dissolving from his stomach. He jumped onto the bed, tossing aside Five’s book and pinning him on his back. “You think?”</p><p>“Do they jerk off to it?” Five said, grinning up at him.</p><p>“Sometimes,” Diego admitted. “Depending on how hot the sex is. Nobody’s jerking off to missionary sex between boring old marrieds like Chuck and Eudora.”</p><p>A thump on the other side of the wall indicated Chuck had taken exception to this characterization.</p><p><em>“Huh,”</em> Five said, then his smile shifted, turning wicked and sharp. “Then let’s give them something good to listen to, yeah?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, Jesus, oh fuck,” Five panted quietly when Diego pushed into him for the first time, slapping his hand out and grabbing the headboard, knuckles white from the strength of his grip. “Jesus <em> fuck </em> you’re big.”</p><p>“Aw, you don’t have to say that just because you know we have an audience,” Diego said, but he had to admit, he didn’t mind. He pressed a little further into Five, groaning at how tight his ass felt around his dick. Truly, he wasn’t positive it was all going to fit.</p><p>“I’m saying it because you’re going to split my ass in half,” Five hissed.</p><p>Diego laughed. “Damn right I am,” he agreed, casually smacking one of the pale globes of Five’s perfect ass, enjoying the way it made him jolt. “Gonna fuck you so deep you feel it in your throat.”</p><p>“Your lame dirty talk is not a turn on!” Lila called from a few rooms over.</p><p>“Try saying that again without your fingers on your clit!” Diego called back.</p><p>Lila cursed at him.</p><p>“Sorry,” Diego said to Five. “Tried to warn you.”</p><p>“Nah, it’s hot, seriously,” Five said. “I’m into it.”</p><p>“You’re too perfect to be real, you know that?” Diego said, meaning it. Then he devoted his attention back to the matter at hand, pressing his forehead between Five’s shoulder blades and sliding his cock incrementally deeper inside him.</p><p>“Oh shit,” Five said, dropping his head between his arms, shoulders locked up tight.</p><p>“It’s gonna get better,” Diego whispered to him, curling his hand around Five’s cock and giving it a few pumps. It wasn’t as hard as it had been, but it wasn’t completely soft either, at least. “In a minute, you’re gonna open up around me and I’m gonna fuck you till you cry, and that’s a promise.”</p><p>“What do I get if you don’t?” Five said, and he turned his head so Diego could see his grin, only a little pained around the edges. “You tell me your big secret?”</p><p>“Sure,” Diego said easily.</p><p>Reginald growled from the furthest room.</p><p>“Relax, it’s not gonna happen,” Diego said. “I’m gonna fuck his brains out, don’t worry.”</p><p>“We’ll see,” Five said.</p><p>“Yeah, we’ll see,” Diego said, nipping at his shoulder with his teeth.</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, ah, ah!” Five said, harsh breaths knocked out of him in sharp staccato, his spine arching prettily as Diego pounded into him.</p><p>Diego had flipped him over when he’d finally opened up around his cock, and he was glad he did – Five’s face was breathtaking when he was getting fucked, all the customary coldness melting away, leaving only his impossible beauty. He looked fucking angelic, <em> divine </em>.</p><p>“Yeah, there’s my sweetheart,” Diego said lowly, lifting Five’s lower back with one hand to put him at the perfect angle, driving right against his prostate with every thrust.</p><p>Five was too far gone to really protest the nickname, but he did slap his hand out and drag his fingernails over Diego’s back, tearing his skin, making him bleed. Too bad for him Diego liked that.</p><p>“God, how are you still this fucking tight?” Diego said, cursing. “You’re gonna take my goddamn dick off, baby. I’m gonna need to fuck you every day to keep you loose enough that it doesn’t feel like sticking my dick in a fucking vise every time I get inside you.”</p><p><em> “Fuck,”</em> Five said, and yeah, he was crying, big fat tears squeezed from the corners of his eyes. His chest was heaving like he couldn’t draw enough breath.<em> “Please.”</em></p><p>“Whatever you want,” Diego promised him, shifting from the deep, thorough strokes to quicker thrusts, grinding with unrelenting focus into Five’s prostate. “Whatever you want, whenever you want it.”</p><p>“Just – want to come,” Five managed breathlessly, his whole body strung taut, a ball of coiled energy waiting to be unleashed. “Please make me – let me – please –”</p><p>“Yeah, baby, you can come,” Diego said, wrapping his hand around Five’s cock and drawing Five’s orgasm out that way, Five spilling over his knuckles, hard and long and so intense he couldn’t even cry out from it, mouth open and wet and soundless.</p><p>Diego cursed a blue streak at the way Five’s ass clenched around his dick after. He knew he had only seconds before he went off, and he wanted to make the most of them.</p><p>He pulled out, ripping off the condom and tossing it somewhere to the side, crawling up Five’s body so he straddled his chest. “Keep that pretty mouth open, sweetheart,” he said, fisting his cock with almost brutally hard tugs, feeling the climax building, building.</p><p>Five tipped his head back, mouth open and waiting, watching Diego through a crack in his eyelashes with those glassy depthless eyes.</p><p>“God, fuck,” Diego said, coming hard, wave after wave of thick white seed painting Five’s lips, tongue, chin, Five staring up at his face the whole time.</p><p> </p><p>Diego was awoken the next morning with a prodding on his shoulder. He rolled over, glaring.</p><p>“You need to drive me to school,” Five said, annoyingly awake and composed, all of that gorgeous openness locked away behind his walls again. </p><p>“Fine,” Diego said, rolling out of bed. “Do I have time to shower?”</p><p>“Make it quick,” Five said.</p><p>Five had already showered and used his only towel, so Diego just pulled on boxer briefs over his wet skin and let himself airdry. The house was silent when he got in, but by the time he came out of the bathroom, Allison and Eudora were making food and the place was coming alive. Five sat at the table eating a muffin.</p><p>Allison shot Diego a dirty look.</p><p>“She’s mad because we got her all worked up while her man was on shift,” Diego told Five. “Believe me, lady, there’s plenty more where that came from.”</p><p>Rodriguez came out of his room and punched Diego in the shoulder. He stuffed a whole muffin in his mouth and glared while he ate it.</p><p><em>“He’s </em>mad because we gave him a sexuality crisis,” Diego told Five. “Dude, getting off on objectively hot sex doesn’t mean you necessarily like dick, you can chill.”</p><p>“The worst,” Rodriguez mumbled around a wet wad of half-chewed muffin.</p><p>Five just leaned back in his chair, stretching languorously, the very picture of smugness.</p><p>“He really is perfect for you,” Eudora said. “Who knew your soulmate was out there waiting for you this whole time?”</p><p>“Are soulmates a real thing?” Five asked.</p><p>“No, she’s just talking shit,” Diego said. He didn’t disagree, though, Five could have been grown for him in a vat. </p><p>“We have to go,” Five reminded Diego.</p><p>“Hang on, I’ll get dressed,” Diego said, going into his room and pulling on shorts and a hoodie, jamming his feet into his unlaced sneakers. </p><p>He came out and tossed Five his leather jacket and helmet.</p><p>Five frowned. <em> “You </em> don’t wear a helmet,” he said, pulling on the jacket.</p><p>“I’m not as breakable as you are, remember?” Diego said. “Wear the helmet. I don’t want to start any beef with your vamp brother.”</p><p>“Fine,” Five grumbled. He stood, carrying the helmet. “Thanks for breakfast.”</p><p>“You’re welcome!” Eudora sang out. Diego could guess why she was in such a good mood. Getting fantastically laid did that to a girl. “Come back anytime!” Yep.</p><p>“Don’t you dare,” Rodriguez growled.</p><p>Diego chuckled, grabbing a muffin and herding Five out the door.</p><p> </p><p>In the parking lot, everyone turned to stare as Diego pulled up on his bike. The townies weren’t used to the local kids entering their space, and the sight of any of them on their bikes always brought a stir to the hum-drum population. </p><p>Especially Diego, he knew. The girls always took extra notice of him.</p><p>The staring intensified when Five pulled off his helmet and everyone recognized him, openly watching the way he climbed off the bike and handed Diego the helmet. </p><p>“Keep the jacket,” Diego said, tucking the helmet into the compartment under the seat. “Looks good on you.” And the scent would drive Klaus crazy. He liked the baby vamp enough, but he didn’t want those golden eyes anywhere near Five.</p><p>“Alright,” Five said, one eyebrow raised like he sensed Diego’s ulterior motive but wasn’t bothered enough by it to argue.  </p><p>Diego spun his bike around.</p><p>“Hey,” Five said. “Can you pick me up after school also? I left my car at the trail.”</p><p>“What time?”</p><p>“3:15.”</p><p>“Sure,” Diego said. “Do I get a kiss goodbye?”</p><p>He’d been joking, so he was surprised and gratified when Five rose up onto his tiptoes and kissed him, right there in front of half the school. He really was an exhibitionist.</p><p>“See you,” Five said, then turned and walked into the school.</p><p>Diego grinned and took off.</p><p> </p><p>His good mood lasted him through the day, until he arrived at Five’s school a few minutes early and scented something that made his blood freeze.</p><p>There were four vampires close by, three of them strangers. The last one was the Handler.</p><p>His fight or flight instincts kicked in, and he knew he had to run now. One vampire he could face alone, but four? Not in a million years. But he couldn’t outrace them on his bike, he’d need to phase. Shit, there were too many people around!</p><p>He talked himself down. There were too many people around to phase, yes, but that also meant there were too many people around for the vampires to try anything. They weren’t dumb; they wouldn’t start something in public like this.</p><p>He was safe enough – for now.</p><p>He leaned on his handlebars and traced the source of the scent, finding them on the other side of the parking lot, standing and watching the students streaming out.</p><p>“There,” said the Handler to the other three. “That’s him – the wolf-boy Luther’s brother has started running with.” She smiled and waved – she must have known Diego was listening.</p><p>“No shit?” one of them, a pale blond vamp, said. “Carmichael will be fascinated to hear that.”</p><p>“Does he know?” growled another, shorter one, just as blond as the first.</p><p>“Does who know?”</p><p>“Does Luther’s kid brother know he’s running with a wolf pack?”</p><p>“No,” said the Handler. “Not as I understand.”</p><p>“Heh,” said the third blond. “Maybe we should tell him. S’only the nice thing to do.”</p><p>Diego growled, feeling uncomfortably like this was karmic retribution for pulling the same shit on Klaus in the diner.</p><p>“Their treaty binds you from revealing their existence to any humans,” the Handler said. Then she made a show of thinking. “On the other hand… you aren’t my guests, and you aren’t settling down. Are you really bound by the treaty at all?”</p><p>“If they’re not bound by the treaty, I can bring my pack here and we can hunt them down and tear them to shreds without breaking our pact,” Diego said into the empty air, knowing they could hear him.</p><p>“Don’t waste your time. By the time they got here, we’ll be long gone,” said the first blond man. </p><p>“Why are you even here?” Diego said. “Is it really just because your pedophile friend gets wet for a 17 year old boy and you’re playing wingman for her?”</p><p>“You should feel free to ask Luther about that,” the Handler said, smiling. “Since you’re such close friends and all.”</p><p>Diego growled. This was no longer amusing, and they needed to get some answers from Luther once and for all.</p><p>He started when Five suddenly said, “Hey?” from right next to him, too hyper-focused on the vampires across the lot to have noticed his approach.</p><p>“Hey,” Diego said, forcing the helmet into his hands. “Get on, we need to move fast.”</p><p>“Okay?” Five said, bewildered, putting on the helmet and climbing on. “What’s —?”</p><p>“Oh, there’s our baby boy now!” crowed the first blond vamp. “How fucking adorable.”</p><p>“Isn’t he just?” the Handler said, licking her lips.</p><p>Diego snarled, a guttural sound from deep in his chest.</p><p>“Ooh, maybe he really is a wolf after all,” said the second blond. “Wanna howl for us, mutt? Show off those wolfy fangs of yours?”</p><p>Diego spun the bike, but not fast enough, and the first blond <em> howled,</em> long and loud, piercing the air, making all the students jump and look around.</p><p>Diego cursed.</p><p> </p><p>He didn’t drop below 85 the entire way back, and Five was clutching him tight enough to cut off his circulation when they got there. He didn’t relax until he reached the house and his pack all came pouring out, sensing his unrest.</p><p>Five didn’t climb off the bike when he did; he stayed seated, staring wide-eyed at Diego. “Wait… Wait, are you <em> wolves</em><em>?"</em></p><p>Reginald growled and shoved through the pack, grabbing Diego’s collar and dragging him close. “You told?”</p><p>“I didn’t tell him shit,” Diego snapped, shoving him off. “Some fucking vampires blowing through town howled and tipped him off.”</p><p>“They broke the treaty?” Raymond said.</p><p>“They’re not part of the treaty,” Diego said. “the Handler made sure to specify that – they’re not her guests and they’re not staying, so they’re not bound by the terms.”</p><p>Lila brightened. “But that means we can hunt them without breaking the –”</p><p>“Yeah, if they’re still there,” Diego said. “They seemed to be in town to gather information, I doubt they’re sticking around. One of them said he was going to tell…” He swallowed, feeling sick. Reginald was going to be so pissed, and Diego couldn’t blame him. “Said he was going to tell someone named Carmichael that Luther’s kid brother’s running with a wolf pack.”</p><p>“We might still have a chance to catch them,” Reginald said. “Raymond, Allison, Chuck, Lila, we’re going. Ben, Rodriguez, Diego, you stay and keep an eye on things here. We need to move fast.”</p><p>“Let’s go!” Raymond bellowed.</p><p>“We need their scents,” Reginald reminded Diego.</p><p>“Right,” Diego said. He started stripping down with the rest of them, shedding clothes like snakeskin. </p><p>Then they phased, their bodies twisting and morphing into their wolf forms, huge and bristling with menace. Diego shared their scents, their voices, their appearances through the mental network, and his five pack members yelped and took off running into the forest.</p><p>Five stared, still seated frozen on the motorcycle.</p><p> </p><p>Eudora came out with a cup of coffee and pressed it into Five’s hands. He accepted it numbly, still seated on the front porch staring at Diego’s lupine form.</p><p>“He’s staying wolf so he can hear his pack,” Eudora explained gently. “Their minds are a connected network in that form, so he can track their hunt through their eyes. Otherwise I’m sure he would turn human to explain everything.”</p><p>“I think everything’s pretty clear, actually,” Five said with a half-smile.</p><p>Diego wagged his tail.</p><p>“Did Ben and Rodriguez go too?” Eudora said.</p><p>“I got the impression they were just looping around this area,” Five said. “They’re not hunting in town with the others.”</p><p>“I see,” Eudora said. She looked at Five for a long moment, then said, softer, “Are you scared?”</p><p>“I don’t know,” Five said, looking down. “I don’t like the Handler’s fixation on me.”</p><p>“Neither does Diego,” Eudora said, and Diego curled his lips back and growled in agreement. “He’d do anything to keep you safe, you know.”</p><p>Five nodded. He sipped from his mug, then said in a rush, “Do you think…”</p><p>“Hm?”</p><p>“I know Luther isn’t allowed here by the rules of the treaty, but is there a way we could… suspend that rule for just a day, and he could come here himself and maybe explain some things?” Five said.</p><p>Eudora looked at Diego.</p><p>Diego pushed the question to Reginald in his mind, and got back a rush of agreement. He nodded.</p><p>“Call him,” Eudora said. “He’ll want to know you’re safe, I’m sure.”</p><p> </p><p>Luther showed up some ten minutes later. He narrowed his eyes at Diego when he saw him. “I didn’t think you would tell him when I sent him here,” he said.</p><p>“He didn’t tell me, one of your vampire friends did,” Five said.</p><p>Luther recoiled.</p><p>“How dumb do you think I fucking am?” Five shouted. “I’ve known the whole time, you fucking jagoff.”</p><p>Diego shook with laughter.</p><p>“One of my friends…?” Luther said.</p><p>“Some guy with blond hair, I only saw him for a second,” Five said. “There are three more vampires in town, aren’t there?”</p><p>“I hadn’t heard,” Luther said. “What did they want?”</p><p>“Diego said they were fact-finding,” Five said. “Said they were going to tell some guy named Carmichael that I’m running with wolves.”</p><p>Luther’s already pale face went dead white. He started to turn as if he was going to sprint off and find them.</p><p>“The pack is already hunting them,” Eudora said. “If they don’t catch them, there’s no way you’re going to either.”</p><p>“Why is the Handler even here?” Five said. “Why are you hosting her? What does she want?”</p><p>Diego turned his head to listen, and sensed his pack all listening as intently through his mind.</p><p>“I can’t tell you,” Luther said.</p><p>Diego’s growl was eight wolves’ frustration coursing through him as its vessel.</p><p>“I’m forbidden,” Luther said coolly. “Surely you wolves understand that dynamic.”</p><p>Diego huffed.</p><p>“Okay, so just confirm my suspicions then,” Five said. “There’s some kind of… vampire tribunal that the Handler acts as a representative for, and they’re pressuring you to host her.”</p><p>Luther didn’t say anything.</p><p>“You’re… here on some mission of theirs, and the Handler is acting as a kind of… overseer,” Five continued. “You’d kill her yourself, but the vampire committee would know and they’d kill you for it.”</p><p>Luther nodded once, jerkily.</p><p>“So you… brought her here on purpose, didn’t you?” Five realized. “You were hoping she’d break the treaty and the wolves would take care of the problem for you.”</p><p>Diego was on his feet in seconds, snarling in Luther’s face, teeth inches from his flesh. They weren’t there to do anyone’s dirty work – or to take the fall from the high vampire command in his place, if anything went wrong.</p><p>Luther stared back coolly. “I was here anyway, and finding out about your treaty was nothing more than a happy coincidence,” he said. “I admit, it would save me a good deal of trouble if you killed her, but that would be due to her actions, not my own.”</p><p>“Diego,” Five said, standing and putting a hand on his neck. “Don’t.”</p><p>Diego let out a low grumbling sound of contempt and shifted him off, going to sit a distance away, still watching Luther warily.</p><p>“Is there anymore more we should know?” Eudora said.</p><p>“The Handler has friends in high places,” Luther said. “I’d be wary of killing her without adequate provocation. She’s also incredibly old and strong, so don’t face her one on one by any means.”</p><p>“And the other three?”</p><p>Luther shrugged. “I couldn’t say, not knowing who they are. But if they came and revealed your identity to the humans, I’d say you have every right to rip them apart.”</p><p>“Good,” Eudora said.</p><p>Diego nodded.</p><p> </p><p>The pack came back some hours later. Everyone dressed in their discarded clothes, then they circled around the bonfire outside.</p><p>Diego sat between Five’s legs, resting back against him. Five played with his hair, twining it in curls around his fingers. Despite everything, Diego felt better already.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” he said to Reginald.</p><p>“They knew we were here before you shacked up with the human,” Reginald said. “The Handler would have passed the information along either way.”</p><p>Diego smiled a little.</p><p>“So they got away?” Luther said.</p><p>Allison scowled. “They split us up. The other three took off and the Handler confused our senses with their scents. We would have killed her, but Reginald heard what you said to Diego and forbade it.”</p><p>“Five stays with us for now,” Reginald said. “We’ll deliver him to and from school each day. Other than that, he stays with the pack.”</p><p>Luther worked his jaw.</p><p>“We already know the Handler has a weird fixation on him,” Chuck told him. “He’s safer here under our protection.”</p><p>“I don’t disagree,” Luther said.</p><p>“So those three are gone for now, back to report to this Carmichael fuck about our existence…” Lila said, and sighed. “I wish you could tell us what you’re doing here.”</p><p>“Can you at least tell us if you’re here for much longer?” Rodriguez said.</p><p>“I’m here… indefinitely,” Luther said, the same way he’d spoken about the Handler before.</p><p>“Wait.” Allison’s voice went quiet. “If you’re settling here, are there others coming after?”</p><p>“Are you, like, recon for them? You’re the advance team and others are joining later?” Lila said.</p><p>“Not exactly, but close enough that you should be concerned,” Luther said. </p><p>Reginald cursed.</p><p>“So what? If more vampires come, they’ll live by our rules,” Raymond said. “And if they don’t, we’ll kill ‘em.”</p><p>“The Handler doesn’t know how many of us there are,” Chuck said. “Reginald brings a different group with him every time he goes to lay down the law, so they can’t predict our threat level accurately.”</p><p>“And if more come, we’ll grow to match,” Allison said. “Some of the local kids are hitting pretty steep growth spurts…”</p><p>Reginald sighed.</p><p>“What does she mean?” Five murmured to Diego.</p><p>“I’ll explain later,” Diego said.</p><p>“I’d prefer they didn’t come at all,” Reginald said. “But I do see your points. Whatever happens, we’ll deal with it.”</p><p>“Hope it happens soon, whatever it is,” Raymond said, rolling his head on his shoulders. “The anticipation’s almost worse than whatever’s coming.”</p><p>“For one, you’re not wrong,” Allison said.</p><p>Raymond pinched her.</p><p> </p><p>The circle split off, some of them going inside to eat, Luther leaving back to his house, some others going on guard duty. Diego stayed staring into the flames with Five’s fingers in his hair, trying to sort out how guilty he should feel about bringing this mess upon them.</p><p>Not very, he decided. Reginald was right, the Handler would have noticed and reported on them without Diego and Five being together. She just might not have been so… personal about it.</p><p>If there was a fight, the Handler was gunning for him first, Diego realized, and privately exulted in it.</p><p>“What are you thinking about?” Five asked, tugging at his hair.</p><p>“Wondering if we should just call it a wash and dissolve the treaty entirely,” Diego said.</p><p>Five jerked back so violently he nearly tore Diego’s hair at the roots.</p><p>“Ow!”</p><p>“That’s my <em> brother,”</em> Five said. “I’ll fucking kill you myself if –”</p><p>“Calm down, that’s not what I meant, Jesus!” Diego said. “Fuckin’ hell, Five.”</p><p>“Then what did you mean,” Five said frostily, crossing his arms.</p><p>Diego turned around to face him. “I think this umbrella treaty is backfiring on us. We’re the only ones being limited by it. If we made it so vampires had to make alliances with us one on one – directly coming to us and announcing their intentions here – then we could be more discriminating about who we allow around town. As it is… I couldn’t call my pack from the start to kill those fuckers because of some fucking treaty, and they gave up our secret and got away. That’s not how the pact was intended to work for us.”</p><p>“You’re being a moron,” Five said. “Do you think the Handler would be staying away from the local population if she weren’t worried about breaking the truce? Yeah, you’d be able to hunt vampires without violating the pact, and maybe you’d kill a few more, but what kind of body count are you willing to rack up getting to that point?”</p><p>Diego bit his lip. That was… true.</p><p>“That treaty is the only thing keeping the citizens here safe,” Five said. “You <em> need </em> to keep it intact – unless you’re willing to sacrifice them just for a chance to sink your teeth into a few more vampires, and if that’s the case, I’m breaking up with you right now.”</p><p>“Breaking up with me?” Diego said.</p><p>Five scowled at him.</p><p>“Are we together, then?” Diego said, grinning. “I think I like that.”</p><p>“I’m serious,” Five said, punching his shoulder.</p><p>“Of course I’m not willing to sacrifice humans. Protecting humans is the reason I am what I am, and I would lay my life on the line for any single person in this town,” Diego said. “<em> You’re </em> being a moron.”</p><p>“Okay, good,” Five grumbled.</p><p>“You’re right, I was wrong, breaking the treaty is stupid,” Diego said. “I just… wish I could kill the Handler. I wish I didn’t have to let that evil bitch live because of some stupid pact she doesn’t give a shit about. Her eyes are still red, it’s not like she’s stopped hunting humans. She just doesn’t hunt them on our land.” He narrowed his eyes and stared into the fire again, imagining the Handler burning in its depths. “She’s killing people, and I’m bound by this stupid treaty to do nothing but watch.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Five said. His hands returned to Diego’s hair, stroking gently. “I know.”</p><p> </p><p>He took Five to school and back all week. On Friday when they got back, most of the pack was playing basketball on the rickety hoop mounted on a tree, barefoot and shirtless as usual.</p><p>Diego whistled for the ball, and Allison hooked it to him. Diego dribbled it around Rodriguez, then ducked under Raymond’s arm and did a neat lay-up to sink the ball.</p><p>“Ow <em> ow </em>!” Lila whooped. “Does the kid do it dirty?”</p><p>“He does,” Diego said, slapping her hand. “Weekend plans?”</p><p>“Beach, baby,” Chuck said, sinking a three-pointer. “Maybe cliff some dives, wind some surfs.”</p><p>“Eat our fuckin’ <em> weight </em> in barbeque,” Raymond said. </p><p>“Put a side of cornbread on my side of mac and cheese, son,” Allison said. </p><p>“And add a side of mashed potatoes to that, thanks and please,” Rodriguez said.</p><p>“Damn, brethren, that’s a weekend,” Diego said. “Bloodsuckers wish they could get on our level.”</p><p>“Bloodsuckers wish they had our style,” Chuck said, sing-song.</p><p>“Bloodsuckers wish they could eat like us, sleep like us, pull hot human tail like us,” Lila said, running her hands down her chest coquettishly.</p><p>“Bloodsuckers fucking wish!” Allison said, whistling with her fingers.</p><p>“Awww da-yamn,” Raymond said. </p><p>Five stared, eyebrows raised. “You were all… somber at the bonfire,” he remarked to Diego in an undertone. “I kind of expected…”</p><p>“We’re not naturally somber people,” Diego said. “Besides, we’d <em> love </em> it if the leeches gave us the excuse we need to hunt. It’s just the cat and mouse game that pisses us off.”</p><p>Five smiled slightly. </p><p>“You were worried coming here was going to feel like being thrown in purgatory? Nah, we’re just not cut out for that woeful shit,” Diego said. “Hang with the parasites if you want soulful angsting and piano music and long lingering face touches and bullshit.”</p><p>Five’s grin widened. “No, instead I’ve arrived at a frat party attended exclusively by rejects from the Abercrombie and Fitch <em> Douchebags in Summer </em> catalog.”</p><p>“Oh, too mean!” Chuck said, clutching his chest.</p><p>“Hot damn, the kid does it dirty-<em>er</em><em>,”</em> Lila said, and she tossed Five the ball. “Now sink the three-pointer and walk away for the real killing move.”</p><p>Five hesitated, then arced the ball cleanly. Diego knew before it left his hands that it was going in, all swish.</p><p>So did Five, because he turned away without watching, walking back to the house with his middle finger extended in the air.</p><p>“OOOOOH,” pretty much all the pack whooped, cheering and cat-calling him.</p><p> </p><p>By the time he got inside, sweaty from wrestling all the guys who made lascivious comments about Five to him, Helen had conscripted Five in the kitchen and they were standing at the stove stirring things.</p><p>“Is it supposed to look like that?” Five said, dubious, and Diego couldn’t resist swooping him and spinning him around, pinning him back against the counter to kiss him hard.</p><p>Five didn’t complain, but Helen started whacking his shoulder with a wooden spoon. “Hey, stoppit,” Diego said, batting her off.</p><p>“Don’t distract him while I’m teaching him to make red curry!” she said.</p><p>“Oh, wait, shit,” Diego said, pulling back. “Sorry sweetheart, Thai curry might trump making out with you. Carry on.”</p><p>Five rolled his eyes and shoved him off. “Go away. Take a page out of Ben’s book and actually shut your fucking mouth for once.”</p><p>Ben, in the living room, raised one hand in a thumbs up.</p><p> </p><p>The guys were playing volleyball outside and Diego itched to join them, but he’d been guilted into helping Five study for his chemistry test. So there he was, reading fucking flashcards at the dining room table while the sounds of whoops and trash talk filtered in from outside.</p><p>After ten flashcards in a row, Diego put his head down on the table.</p><p>“Still no pity,” Five said.</p><p>“I know,” Diego said. “Fucking fascist dictatorship.”</p><p>“Maybe <em> you </em> should go back to high school if this is your understanding of fascism,” Five said.</p><p>“Wow, rude,” Diego said. “Maybe you should go to shut your face school.”</p><p>“Bite me, mutt,” Five said.</p><p>“Children,” Helen scolded.</p><p>“You’re gonna get us in trouble,” Diego hissed, kicking Five under the table.</p><p>“I fucking hate you,” Five said.</p><p>Diego grinned, leaning over the table to kiss him – and not keeping it chaste by any stretch of the imagination. Five lifted half off his chair to meet him, twisting his fingers in Diego’s hair.</p><p>“You’re supposed to be helping him study!” Helen said.</p><p>“I’m providing incentives to finish,” Diego said into Five’s lips.</p><p>Helen whacked him on the back of the head.</p><p>Diego would have ignored her and kept going, maybe even dragged Five to the bedroom right then, but a faint howl from outside made him jerk away, senses on high alert. All the noise from the game outside ceased abruptly.</p><p>“What happened?” Five said. Unlikely that his human ears had picked up the sound, but he knew from Diego’s response that something was wrong.</p><p>“Ben,” Diego said distantly, and Helen gasped.</p><p>Diego crossed the room and threw open the door with Helen and Five hot on his heels. Outside, Reginald had shifted, and the guys waited for his cue, ready to phase at a moment’s notice.</p><p>Reginald shifted back, expression grim. “Bloodsuckers approaching fast – he counts seven distinct scents.”</p><p>“Luther?” Five said, face going white.</p><p>Reginald nodded. “We’ll meet them at the border of our land and cut them off. Get ready for a fight if they’re here to break the terms.”</p><p>“Are we all going?” Lila said. They’d been waiting for this with varying degrees of gleeful anticipation, but now that it was here, she looked a little green.</p><p>Reginald hesitated.</p><p>“I’m not leaving him alone,” Diego said. </p><p>Reginald’s eyes snapped over to his. “I don’t have time for your nonsense right now,” he said lowly.</p><p>“The Handler’s after him in particular and <em> I am not leaving him alone </em>,” Diego said, squaring up. “You all go. I’ll –”</p><p>“Sorry, but fuck no,” Allison said – she was the only one who could say that to Diego without getting her throat torn out, and she knew it. “You’re our strongest fighter and you of all people need to be there.”</p><p>Diego snarled, but he knew Allison was right.</p><p>“He’s right,” Chuck said. “But I don’t want to leave Eudora and the others here alone either. Reginald, we’ll take seven, leave one behind to defend. That puts us man-to-man with the leeches.”</p><p>Reginald nodded. “Who stays?”</p><p>“I will,” Chuck said. “Diego, I’ll take care of him, I promise.”</p><p>Diego ran his hand through his hair. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Chuck, but – every instinct he had told him not to leave Five’s side right now, and it took everything he had to fight against it.</p><p>“Go,” Five said, touching the back of his neck. “Hurry.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Diego said, giving in.</p><p> </p><p><em> Diego, Allison, phase to human with me, </em> Reginald thought to them as they neared the meeting point. <em> I need your wits. </em></p><p>They sent back their affirmation, and right at the tree line they phased back, pulling on their sweatpants and following the wolf pack into the open, flanking Reginald’s shoulders.</p><p>Ben was sitting on one side of the narrow creek, calm and serene, nothing about his posture indicating the churning fear that they had all felt from him on the run over. No one outside the pack would have been able to sense the relief that poured off him when they walked up to meet him, evening the sides at seven apiece.</p><p>Diego swept his eyes over the seven vampires standing on the other side of the creek. He recognized Luther, Cha-Cha, Hazel, and the three blonds from before. A new dark-haired one at the center seemed to be their leader – Carmichael, he assumed.</p><p>The Handler wasn’t one of them, and Diego didn’t like that at all. Unease twisted his stomach.</p><p>“Explain,” Reginald said clearly.</p><p>“Such animosity,” cooed the first blond. “As if we aren’t being perfectly gracious guests.”</p><p>“Hey, shut that one up,” Allison said. “He’s already broken the treaty before. Don’t presume to test our patience.”</p><p>“Interesting,” mused the center one, the leader.</p><p>“Carmichael, right?” Diego said.</p><p>He smiled. “Yes,” he said. “And you must be Diego. I’ve heard much about you.” His gaze on Diego was hungry.</p><p>Diego smiled back toothily even as his pack shifted with menace behind him. “I’m everything you’ve heard and more, sugarlips. You come here just to get a good look?”</p><p>“You could say that,” Carmichael said. “But indeed, I heed your words. Axel, shut up.”</p><p>The blond one grumbled and crossed his arms.</p><p>“I suppose I came for clarification on a few points of your treaty,” Carmichael said. “If we’re to live together in blissful harmony, I need to be sure I understand the terms.”</p><p>Reginald curled his lip back.</p><p>“My first question is this,” Carmichael said. “If one of our kind breaks the treaty, is it considered broken for all of us, or only for that individual?”</p><p>Reginald hesitated, thrown. “All,” he said, but he didn’t sound certain of it.</p><p>“Hardly seems fair,” Cha-Cha said. “I gotta be killed because some fuck-up I don’t even care about got hungry?”</p><p>“No one said you had to align with him,” Allison said. “Maybe don’t gang up with fuck-ups and this won’t be a problem.”</p><p>Cha-Cha shrugged.</p><p>Reginald glanced over at Diego, tacitly asking for his input on why Carmichael was asking.</p><p>“All,” Diego said, frowning. “If you wanna throw Axel over there at us to test the waters and see for yourself how much of a threat we really are, it’s a breach of contract and we tear your throats out. You don’t get to exploit the loopholes, doll-face.”</p><p>Carmichael’s eyes studied him even more intently. “Indeed, everything I’ve heard and more,” he mused aloud.</p><p>“God, he wants to bone you so bad,” Allison said. </p><p>Lila huffed a laugh behind them.</p><p>Carmichael just smiled. “Understood. Breaking the terms for one means breaking it for all. We’ll be careful not to risk it when we move here.”</p><p>Reginald’s curse was drowned out by the pack snarling as one behind them. “Move here?” Reginald asked, speaking over them.</p><p>“We like it here,” Carmichael said. “It’s uniquely suited for our <em> temperaments </em>. We’ve been settled in Europe for centuries, but America has… so much to offer, don’t you think?”</p><p>“America might, but Forks doesn’t,” Allison said. “Maybe people don’t get suspicious when tourists and illegal immigrants and refugees go missing in big European cities, but you start picking off humans in small-town Washington and you’re gonna bring a lot of heat down on yourself.”</p><p>“We wouldn’t be hunting on this land anyway,” Carmichael said. “Though it’s very kind of you to concern yourself with our discretion, my pet.”</p><p>Raymond came up behind Allison, teeth bared. He looked Carmichael right in the eyes and growled, soft and low.</p><p>“We won’t be breaking the treaty, never fear,” Carmichael said. “You have no need to fret about us. We’ll be, as Axel said, perfectly gracious guests.”</p><p>“No, you know what, fuck this,” Diego said, out of patience at last.</p><p>Carmichael turned to him, one eyebrow elegantly raised.</p><p>“You’re here to flash your fangs a little, show off how we’re as trapped by our own treaty as you are and there’s nothing we can do about it,” Diego said. “If you follow the terms we set to the letter, then we’re obligated to stand by and watch, right?”</p><p>Carmichael shrugged. “Unless you’d prefer to break off the treaty entirely,” he said carelessly.</p><p>“Maybe we would,” Diego said.</p><p>Instantly, the vampires dropped into fighting crouches. Behind him, his pack did the same, poised to leap.</p><p>Reginald grabbed Diego’s shoulder and squeezed.</p><p>“Trust me,” Diego said, shaking him off. “Alright, Carmichael, you want to talk man to man - cut the bullshit and stop with the faux politeness? I think we’re all sick of the pleasantries.”</p><p>“Please,” Axel groaned.</p><p>“The treaty was made in good faith with vampires like them, the ones we weren’t made to hunt,” Diego said, nodding at Luther and Hazel. “You seem to think we’re keeping the treaty in place because we’re too chicken-shit to face off, and buddy, you’d be wrong.”</p><p>Raymond yelped agreement.</p><p>“If you want to throw down, we’re more than willing,” Diego said. “Any day of the week, parasite, I’ll match my fangs against yours and see who walks away from it. Just name the fucking time and place.”</p><p>Carmichael watched him, waiting, knowing that he was building to something.</p><p>“You know that it could go two ways if we decided to break the treaty – either we win but sustain heavy losses, or you win and sustain heavy losses. And that’s more of a deterrent for us than it is for you, and you’re counting on that,” Diego said. “I get it, you think you’ve got the advantage because you don’t care if your cute little leech committee lives or dies, and we actually value the lives of our pack, am I right?”</p><p>Carmichael prompted him to continue with a wave of his hand.</p><p>“But if you think we wouldn’t <em> happily </em> go down fighting as long as we got to take some bloodsuckers down with us, then your spies haven’t been feeding you the right information,” Diego said. “Look at any of my pack here and tell me you don’t believe me.” He gestured behind him.</p><p>The wolves shifted with open menace.</p><p>Carmichael looked, and Diego knew that he truly understood their bloodlust for the first time.</p><p>“<em> And </em> there are more of us, and there will always be more of us as long as your kind is here,” Diego said. </p><p>“Diego,” Reginald hissed, because this had been their ace in the hole for the duration of their existence.</p><p>“Nah, they should know,” Diego said. “Mr. King Vamp here should know – even if he walks away from this alive, even if he makes it out with his core lieutenants and kills us all in the process, that’s not the end. These woods are our land. My pack? The current fighting corps of a people that has existed for longer than your adorable vampire tribunal, and will continue to hunt your kind long after you’re dead. Kill me if you want, but you’ll always hear the baying of the hounds at your back, baby.”</p><p>Carmichael’s expression, for the first time, was not amused.</p><p>“The only way you win this is if you walk away now and get on a plane back to Europe tonight,” Diego said. “This isn’t a fight you want to start. Vamps like you – no way you made it this long without a healthy survival instinct. Look me in the eye and tell me that instinct isn’t <em> screaming </em> at you to start running and not stop until there’s an ocean between us. I fucking <em> dare </em>you.”</p><p>Carmichael met his eye. There was a long, still moment, and Diego read his expression and knew that he’d won.</p><p>“I’m not bluffing, parasite,” he said softly. “Walk away. This is your last chance.”</p><p>“Our friend Lila – you see Lila there, don’t you? Little wolf, big teeth?” Allison said, waving back to Lila, who cocked her head and grinned at them. “She has a mantra she lives her life by. She doesn’t pick fights she can’t win.”</p><p>Reginald nodded. “We’re picking this fight. What does that tell you?”</p><p>“You got a mantra, Carmichael?” Allison said. “Want to borrow Lila’s for a day?”</p><p>“You’ve given me much to think about,” Carmichael said. “But I can’t deny that settling here seems to be more trouble than it’s worth.”</p><p>“Luther told you that, I’m sure,” Allison said. “The Handler, though, she’s got a crush on Diego’s boyfriend, so I bet she’s fed you what you wanted to hear so you’d come down and fight her battles for her. Bet she doesn’t even care if you die in the process, as long as you get Diego out of the way so she can swoop in and nab that pretty human for herself once the dust settles.”</p><p>Carmichael frowned.</p><p>“Oh yes — Diego’s not the only intuitive one,” Reginald said. “My pack, Carmichael? You’re not going to out-think them.”</p><p>Carmichael didn’t react to that, but Axel’s smirk next to him made something snap into place for Diego.</p><p>“Fuck,” Diego said, whipping around. “She’s gone the long way around, hasn’t she? Over the water?”</p><p>“Diego?” Reginald said.</p><p>“The Handler – Five, he’s in danger,” Diego said, vibrating with the urge to phase and run back. “Reginald, <em> please </em>.”</p><p>“Go,” Reginald said.</p><p>Diego went.</p><p> </p><p>As he ran, he organized his thoughts to make sense of them for his pack, knowing that they hadn’t caught on yet.</p><p>If he was right, Carmichael had allowed the Handler to take the opportunity of the distraction and sneak to the house. He must have known Reginald would have left a guard there, and he must have counted on it – he <em>wanted </em>them to know, to consider this a breach of contract and instigate a fight right then when they were at their weakest.</p><p>He knew their attention would be fractured in two places, concern for their mates and friends keeping them from the focus they needed for battle against centuries-old vampires who were formidable enough opponents without the advantage. </p><p>Maybe it wasn’t even just the Handler – maybe there were two fronts of vampires closing in from both sides, and Reginald’s strongest fighter had just left the fight where he was needed more, too distracted by the threat to his human.</p><p>It wasn’t just Diego, either. Diego liked Five enough, but Chuck’s feelings for Eudora, Reginald and Grace… They’d go mad with worry, and that would be their downfall.</p><p><em> Don’t strike first,</em> he pushed in his mind to his pack. <em> If they attack, then defend, but you don’t have strength in numbers right now and attacking makes you vulnerable. They’re counting on you to lash out. </em></p><p>They all sent back their agreement.</p><p><em> Protect them,</em> Lila thought, worry already splitting her open. <em> Please, Diego.</em></p><p><em> You know that I will, </em>Diego thought.</p><p> </p><p>He was almost to the house when Chuck’s thoughts went panicked. </p><p>
  <em> They’re here, there’s three of them – shit! </em>
</p><p>Diego put on another burst of speed, seeing through Chuck’s eyes as the vampires moved in choreographed patterns, one of them coming at him from each side while the Handler stood back and let them distract him.</p><p>He could have faced off against each one individually, but both at the same time was impossible – they took advantage of his blind spots, dancing around him and forcing his retreat, working together in unity. Toying with him, like two particularly sadistic cats.</p><p><em> Chuck! </em>Lila’s internal voice was frantic. </p><p><em> Diego,</em> Chuck pleaded.</p><p>The world around Diego was a blur, but he knew he wouldn’t make it in time. He ran, agonized by panic, seeing through Chuck’s view as one of them lunged –</p><p>And a furry dark body intercepted him in midair.</p><p><em> Who? </em>Raymond thought.</p><p><em> Keechie,</em> Chuck thought, a new joy and relief flooding through him. <em> The young ones </em> –</p><p>Another furry body joined the fray, this one lighter – built slimmer, but with a wiry strength. </p><p><em> Jill,</em> Chuck thought. </p><p>The vampires hesitated, but they were only thrown for a second. Then they redoubled their efforts, no longer playing with their food but fighting for their lives.</p><p>The young wolves were strong and quick, but untested, having never fought before. Centuries of inherited experience told them how to move, how to adjust, how to fight alongside their pack, but this was still their first time and they had no muscle memory to smooth the way.</p><p>Which is why Chuck howled with delight when Diego showed up.</p><p>Diego didn’t have time for this shit. He body-checked one of the vampires straight into Chuck’s teeth, pounced on the other one and tore a chunk from his shoulder, wrestling him to the ground. But the whole while, it was the Handler he was thinking about, and as soon as he had the clearance he gave chase after her scent.</p><p><em> We’ve got this</em><em>!</em> Jill thought to him.</p><p><em> Yeah,</em> Keechie thought. <em> You can go. </em></p><p>But the mood of the group dropped considerably when Diego found the Handler’s scent, leading directly into the house.</p><p> </p><p>Diego had to phase to human to enter the house, unable to fit his shoulders through the doorway in his lupine form. It made the whole thing seem surreal, like something from a horror movie. The house had never seemed been so dark and quiet before, had never closed around him like a weight on his lungs.</p><p>Then Diego entered his bedroom, where the Handler had Five pinned in her lap, fangs pressed to his jugular.</p><p>Diego stopped.</p><p>Five’s eyes met his, wide enough to see the whites ringing his irises.</p><p>“Don’t worry,” Diego said. “She’s not going to hurt you. I’m not going to let her.”</p><p>The Handler chuckled.</p><p>Outside, Chuck howled. </p><p>“No, go join the others at the clearing,” Diego called. “There’s nothing you can do here.” </p><p>Chuck yelped and took off.</p><p>Diego leaned against his desk, crossing his arms over his chest. He didn’t delude himself into thinking the Handler believed his casual act though; his whole body was taut with anxiety. “Too bad you weren’t there in the clearing before when I threatened Carmichael and he gave in,” he said. “You’d have saved yourself some time and effort if you’d realized you’re the only one still fighting a losing battle.”</p><p>“A pity,” the Handler said.</p><p>“Allison thinks he wants to bone me,” Diego said. “He watches me like he does – kind of the same way you watch Five, actually. Y’all could form a pedophile club.”</p><p>The Handler chuckled.</p><p>“I mean, I get it, we’re both hot pieces of ass, and we both think on another level from most humans,” Diego said. “I’m smart. Strategic. Intuitive, I think is the most crucial part. I’m good at getting into other people’s heads, breaking down the way they think. Mind if I show off a little?”</p><p>“Please do,” the Handler said, nodding magnanimously at him.</p><p>“You’ve lost, you already know you’ve lost, and you’re desperately trying to think of a way out,” Diego said. </p><p>“Oh?” the Handler said.</p><p>“Yeah,” Diego said. “I’ll break it down. People don’t take hostages when they know they can win, right? No one with faith in their fighting abilities would need to put up a human shield between them.”</p><p>“True enough,” the Handler said.</p><p>“So we’ve got a stalemate, because I’m not going to touch you while you’ve got him hostage, and if you actually <em> hurt </em>him I’d tear you into bite-sized pieces and you know it, so, you know, we’re at an impasse,” Diego said. “Am I wrong?”</p><p>“You are not factually inaccurate,” the Handler said. “But you still haven’t explained why that means I’ve lost.”</p><p>“You’ve lost because Carmichael isn’t going to bail you out,” Diego said. “He threw you to the wolves – pun intended – because you were always going to be a sacrifice for him. Yeah, I know you think this was your idea, but I’m betting he didn’t argue much when you brought it up.”</p><p>The Handler was very still.</p><p>“So as I see it, this scenario only goes three ways, and you win in precisely zero of them,” Diego said. “<em> However </em>, in one of them, you do get to make it out alive. Want me to spell it out?”</p><p>“Please do.” Diego thought the Handler was trying to sound indifferent, but he could smell her panic.</p><p>“You hurt Five, I kill you,” Diego said. “You make it away with Five as your hostage, I hunt you down, I kill you. You know I’ll do it. Or, you leave Five alive and walk out the door, and I give you a head-start of… let’s say 10 minutes before I start chasing you. Thoughts?”</p><p>“Tempting,” the Handler said.</p><p>“Come on, there’s no way you really convinced yourself you came out of this as the victor,” Diego said, low and coaxing. “Carmichael’s cutting his losses and running. You might as well join him.”</p><p>Five twisted away from the Handler’s hand. “I’m a hot piece of ass, but I’m not worth <em> dying </em> for,” he said, voice hoarse. </p><p>Diego laughed.</p><p>“You make a fair point,” the Handler said. “But I see the way you’re looking at me. The hunger in your eyes… You want to taste my blood. You wouldn’t give me a 10-minute head start.”</p><p>Diego shrugged. “I’d do it for Five,” he said. “That scenario is the best case for all three of us. Don’t throw it away for your own pride.”</p><p>“Perhaps,” the Handler said, and she ran her hand lightly down Five’s side, making him shudder.</p><p>Diego watched, barely breathing, as the Handler lifted Five’s wrist with her hand, pressing her lips against it. He could see Five’s pulse fluttering from there.</p><p>“Don’t do it,” Diego said. “It’s not worth it.”</p><p>“My, I <em> do </em> like the sound of your begging,” the Handler said. “And I’d like to hear more.”</p><p>Diego inhaled thinly. “Don’t bite him. It doesn’t have to be personal as long as you don’t bite him. Just walk away – you can still walk away from this.”</p><p>“I said <em> beg </em>,” the Handler said, latching her open mouth to Five’s wrist in a flash, teeth grazing his skin.</p><p>Five dragged in a sharp breath, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes.</p><p>“Please don’t hurt him,” Diego said raggedly. “You’ve made me beg – you’ve won, okay? Please, please don’t – You’ve made your point. You beat me. Just don’t…”</p><p>“Much better,” the Handler said, and bit down.</p><p>Diego would never forget the sound of Five’s scream.</p><p> </p><p>In an instant, everything was chaos. The Handler flung Five at Diego and dove through the window, and Diego would have followed in an instant, but –</p><p>“Shit, shit,” he said, catching Five and dragging his hand up to his mouth, latching his mouth to his wrist and sucking hard. He took a mouthful of blood and spat it to the side, uncaring of where it landed.</p><p>“Thought that – didn’t work,” Five gritted out, curling up in a tight ball of agony.</p><p>“Their saliva contains natural anti-venom,” Eudora said from the doorway, white-faced. “If he moves quickly enough…”</p><p>Diego took another mouthful, sucking as hard as he dared, praying he wasn’t too late.</p><p>“Should go,” Five said, eyelashes fluttering. “Kill him. Needs to die.”</p><p>“He won’t leave you in this condition,” Eudora said softly. “It must be what the Handler was counting on. It’s the only way she’ll be able to get enough of a head-start.”</p><p>Diego nodded even as he drew out Five’s blood. It was the only thing that would have kept him from giving immediate chase. The Handler got to taunt Diego, claim Five, and flee, all in one go. Devious bitch. Diego was going to tear her fucking lungs out when he caught up with her.</p><p>“That’s enough, right?” Eudora said. “If you didn’t get it from that, you haven’t gotten it.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Diego said, pulling back so she could bind bandages around Five’s bleeding wrist. “Baby…”</p><p>“Go,” Five said.</p><p>“I can’t leave you alone, in case it didn’t work,” Diego whispered. “If you change…”</p><p>“I’d wake up as a newborn in a house of humans,” Five realized. </p><p>Diego nodded.</p><p>“Keechie and Jill will protect us,” Eudora said. “Reginald didn’t let them join the rest of the pack in the woods.”</p><p>Diego hesitated.</p><p><em>“Go,”</em> Five said. “Fucking kill her. Please.” He was scared, Diego realized – he knew this was Diego’s best chance of ridding him of his unwanted tormentor for good.</p><p>“Alright,” Diego said, pressing a kiss to his forehead, blood smearing from his mouth over his pale skin. “I’ll be back.”</p><p>Five nodded. He grabbed at Diego’s collar for a moment, openly clinging, then he released, and Diego forced himself to leave.</p><p> </p><p>By the time he reached the group in the woods, a deadly calm had settled between the two sides. The Handler was half-hidden behind Carmichael, which was confirmation Diego didn’t need that the whole thing had been set up by the pair of them.</p><p>He didn’t phase back to his human form – just walked to the spot directly across the creek from the Handler and planted himself there, teeth bared, eyes focused on one being alone.</p><p>Allison came up at his side. “Now that we’re all here, let’s discuss.”</p><p>“The Handler broke the terms of the treaty by biting a human,” Reginald said. “Specifically, Five Hargreeves, a boy of particular interest to our pack.”</p><p>Luther visibly jerked in place.</p><p>“You weren’t informed?” Reginald slanted his gaze over to Luther. “Good to know how your leader treats his underlings.”</p><p>Luther locked his hands behind his back and said nothing.</p><p>“Consider the treaty broken,” Reginald said.</p><p>Instantly, the two sides dropped into their fighting positions.</p><p>Reginald raised his hand to halt the chaos before it started. “And now we’ll institute a new practice. Instead of a binding treaty with your kind as a whole, we’ll form truces with individuals directly. Any of you who agrees to submit to our rules is under no threat by our pack.” He crossed his arms. “Provided, of course, we make the truce. We reserve the right to decline your request at our own discretion.”</p><p>“Any takers?” Allison said. “Personally, if I were you, I’d consider it. I wouldn’t want to stay partnered with the bloodsucker who just bit Diego’s boyfriend, but I guess I’m not suicidal, can’t speak for you.” She rested her hand on Diego’s shoulder, feeling the way he was vibrating with the urge to maim.</p><p>“Carmichael,” Luther said abruptly.</p><p>They looked at him.</p><p>“When I joined you, you swore to me that my brother would remain unaffected. You’ve failed to uphold your end of the agreement. Now I ask to be released from your service.”</p><p>Carmichael, clearly displeased, said, “I allow it.”</p><p>“Reginald,” Luther said. “I request a truce, and willingly submit to the terms of the former treaty. Is there any new agreement that you ask of me?”</p><p>“I vote he can come on our land now,” Allison said. </p><p>Reginald made a show of thinking about it. “I don’t see why not,” he said. “Agreed.”</p><p>Immediately, Luther jumped and landed on their side, turning to face Carmichael’s group, clearly demonstrating that he would join the side of the wolves if it came to a fight. </p><p>The vampires shifted, acutely aware they had lost the strength in numbers.</p><p>“Carmichael,” Hazel said.</p><p>“Yes?” Carmichael ground out.</p><p>“I do not request release from your service, but I do inform you that I will not join you in battle against this pack,” Hazel said. “If it comes to it, you cannot count on my aid. You swore to me that you would only expect my willing involvement in your conflicts, and in this case, you do not have it.”</p><p>“Understood,” Carmichael said, clearly grinding his teeth.</p><p>“Reginald, I request a truce and willingly submit to the terms of the former treaty, as I always have,” Hazel said.</p><p>“We agree to the truce,” Reginald said.</p><p>Hazel nodded and disappeared into the woods, running back towards town.</p><p>“Yeah, same,” Cha-Cha said. “I’m not liking these odds, and I don’t have any fight to pick with the wolves. This petty shit isn’t worth dying for. I’m out.”</p><p>“Go,” Carmichael said.</p><p>“Do we have a détente long enough to let me leave town?” Cha-Cha asked Reginald.</p><p>“Granted,” Reginald said.</p><p>Cha-Cha ran. </p><p>“I’m not liking your odds either, friend,” Allison said softly to Carmichael. “Give up the Handler now and you can leave alive, like Diego offered before. She’s not getting out of here intact, but it doesn’t have to be the same for you.”</p><p>Carmichael only had to think for a second. Then he said, “Fine. Have her. Axel, Otto?”</p><p>In an instant, they had flung the Handler across the gap, where she landed in a crouch a few feet in front of Diego.</p><p>“You wanted a demonstration,” Reginald said. “Feel free to stick around long enough to watch Diego work, it’s rather beautiful. Then get the fuck off our land. And if we ever see you here again, we’ll kill you.”</p><p>“We have no truce with any of you,” Allison said. “I wouldn’t bother asking for one.”</p><p>Carmichael nodded.</p><p>“Diego, take it away,” Reginald said, waving. </p><p>“Handler, you may as well make it interesting for him,” Allison said. “Otherwise, where’s the fun?”</p><p>Diego got to his feet.</p><p> </p><p>The rest of the pack stayed after to personally escort the vampires out of town, but Reginald knew that Diego was too keyed up not to go back and check on Five. Luther ran back with Diego, just as eager to see his brother.</p><p>In the house, Five was curled up on the loveseat with a plate of scones and a bottle of Gatorade. The tension flooded out of Diego in a rush – the venom hadn’t taken, thank God.</p><p>“Hey,” he said, crossing the room and leaning in to kiss him. “I was worried.”</p><p>“Still human,” Five said. “Go shower, you’re covered in blood.”</p><p>Diego hesitated, not wanting to leave.</p><p>“I’m not letting you near me until you do,” Five said.</p><p>“Fiiine,” Diego said, because that was a real threat. He showered quickly, throwing on a clean pair of sweats before rejoining the group.</p><p>He lifted Five easily and took his place, settling him back down in his lap. “Did Luther fill you in?” he said, taking one of the scones from the plate and stuffing it whole into his mouth.</p><p>Five nodded. “If you’re instituting personal truces, remember that you’ll have to tell Klaus and Dave.”</p><p>“Right,” Diego said. He splayed his hand over Five’s stomach under his shirt, finally relaxing for the first time since Ben’s howl. He pressed his nose against Five’s neck, scenting him. “Do I get a thanks or what, baby?”</p><p>Five nestled back against him, head tucked under his chin. “Thank you,” he said softly. </p><p><em>“Thank you,”</em> Luther said, eyes serious. “I owe you my life. Whatever you ask for — Anything in my power, I’ll give it.”</p><p>“Hey man,” Diego said, brushing his thumb in a soothing sweep back and forth over the bandage on Five’s wrist. His words were meant for Luther, but he had eyes for no one and nothing but Five. “Anytime.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>come talk to me on <a href="https://achilleees-tua.tumblr.com/">my tua tumblr!</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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